Sheldon Krock was on bail for a prior DUI case at the time of the crash. He asked a district judge for a break Thursday.
A man charged with driving drunk and causing a Route 22 crash that killed one of his six passengers asked for reduced bail so he can seek in-patient treatment for addiction.
Sheldon L. Krock is seen in a photograph dated Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016, from his Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law profile. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleyliv.com)Sheldon Krock, 52, told a district judge he was also the primary caregiver for his father, who has dementia.
Krock, of the first block of South Mulberry Street in Easton, has been held in lieu of $200,000 bail on homicide-by-vehicle and related charges stemming from the August 2016 crash.
Defense attorney Amy Sonin requested Krock's bail be reduced to 10 percent of $50,000.
She said Krock has been held in Northampton County Prison on a three- to six-month county sentence for a prior DUI, but that he cannot be released for treatment because of the bail in the homicide-by-vehicle case.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Renee Smith opposed any reduction, noting Krock was on bail in the prior DUI case at the time of the deadly crash.
"How many people does he have to kill before we keep the community safe," Smith asked. "We're lucky there was only one fatality. We think he's dangerous."
District Judge Michael D'Amore agreed, and kept the bail the same.
Prosecutors said the night of Aug. 19, Krock was traveling westbound on Route 22 near Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, when he struck a Chevrolet Cruz with his Ford F-150 pickup truck.
That impact caused the truck to roll several times and hit a Mazda sedan, and the Mazda then struck a Volvo sedan.
Krock had six passengers in the truck, and Renee Tenasse, 31, of Allentown, was partially thrown from the pickup and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lehigh County Coroner's Office ruled the mother of four's death an accident caused by injuries suffered in the crash.
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Three of Tenasse's four sons -- ages 7, 4 and 2 -- were also in the truck, along with two men from Allentown, 52-year-old Robert Pierce and 25-year-old Andre Johnson. All were taken to area hospitals, treated and released.
Krock is a convicted sex offender and must register for the rest of life under Pennsylvania's Megan's Law. He was convicted Feb. 16, 1996, of sexual assault with force.
On Thursday, Lehigh County Pretrial staff said Krock's prior record includes arrests for possession with intent to deliver narcotics, aggravated assault and burglary.
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Krock was arrested March 7 on a DUI charge, after Easton police said they found him passed out behind the wheel of a 2003 Dodge Dakota near his home.
The pickup truck's engine was running, and the vehicle was in the middle of the road, blocking traffic, police said.
Krock pleaded guilty to drunken driving last November, and was sentenced to three to six months in Northampton County Prison, records show. He was slated to be paroled Thursday after completing inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation, records show.
Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.