Sparks Fly, Power Shut Down After Revere Man Charged with DUI Strikes Telephone Pole
Boston Police charged a Revere man for drunk driving Monday after his car crashed into a telephone pole Sunday, raining electrical sparks onto the street, causing a local power outage and closing Route 1A in East Boston.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, Santiago Gonzalez, 41, of Revere, was driving under the influence of alcohol and without a license when he crashed off Route 1A North near Boardman Street. Officers reported seeing transformers arcing and blowing up along Route 1A while driving to the scene.
When they arrived around 4 a.m., they found a telephone pole chopped in half, transformers and junction boxes on the ground and a power outage in the surrounding area.
The resulting downed wires also caused a second crash when a taxi struck the wires and crashed into the raised curb. No injuries were reported from either accident.
According to WCVB, crews had to close Route 1A, a key route to Logan Airport, in both directions until 4 p.m. Sunday to clean the scene and repair downed wires and traffic lights.
Police found Gonzalez behind the wheel of a white Toyota Tundra on the grass off the road. Police said the car smelled of alcohol and that Gonzalez had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. Gonzalez allegedly failed a series of field sobriety tests and prosecutors said he refused a breathlalyzer test at the station. They also claim that he did not have a valid driver’s license.
East Boston Municipal Court Judge John McDonald set bail at $500 and mandated that Gonzalez not drive and that he must remain free of alcohol and drugs pending his release. Gonzalez is set to return to court March 5.
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