By order of the Supreme Court, 508 Pa. —, 497 A.2d 1330, this case has been remanded for proceedings consistent with
Commonwealth v. Frisbie,
506 Pa. 461, 485 A.2d 1098 (1984).
Frisbie
holds that, where legislatively authorized, the imposition of multiple sentences upon a defendant whose single unlawful act injures multiple victims is legal. In the instant case, appellee driving drunk killed three people. The test of legislative authorization under
Frisbie
looks to the language of the statute defining the offense.
See id.,
506 Pa. at 466, 485 A.2d at 1100 (comparing the language of 18 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2705 with that of 18 Pa.C.S. Sec. 2707 and
*126
2710). The operative language in 75 Pa.C.S. Sec. 3732 penalizes “(a)ny person who unintentionally causes
the death of another person.”
(Emphasis added.) Applying the
Frisbie
analysis to the facts of this case, we conclude that the legislature did authorize multiple sentences for multiple deaths resulting from a single violation of 75 Pa.C.S. Sec. 3732. Accord
Commonwealth v. Zaengle,
332 Pa.Super. 137, 141, 480 A.2d 1224, 1228 (1984) (Olszewski, J., dissenting).
The sentences imposed by the trial court are reinstated.
AI-generated responses must be verified and are not legal advice.