Local News

Video shows wild, allegedly impaired joy ride ending in crash in Bellingham

"The purpose of sharing this video is to highlight the dangers of impaired driving."

In video released by Bellingham police, an unnamed driver can be seen going 77 mph down Pulaski Boulevard with his hands off the wheel.

By Adora Brown

1 minute to read

Dash camera video shared by Bellingham police this week shows an allegedly impaired driver swerving through traffic, removing both hands from the steering wheel, and eventually ramming into another vehicle.

On Jan. 14 around 8 p.m., a 23-year-old driver from Ashland was going over 75 mph in a 1-800-GOT-JUNK truck that had been reported stolen from Hopkinton, police said.

In the video, the driver can be seen removing his hands from the wheel while accelerating. He then swerves through different lanes of traffic, narrowly avoiding three other cars, and then strikes the back of a fourth vehicle.

The driver fled the scene after the crash, but was later apprehended by police in West Greenwich, Rhode Island following reports from the person who was hit, police said.

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According to a Bellingham Police Department Facebook post sharing the video, the driver — whom police did not identify — recalled getting in a collision but could not remember where it happened. He also confessed to being under the influence of an illegal substance, they said.

“The purpose of sharing this video is to highlight the dangers of impaired driving,” Bellingham police wrote on Facebook. “Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported from this incident, but it is evident that this individual’s reckless behavior could have had catastrophic consequences.”

“The responsible party has been summoned to Milford District Court and is due to appear there next month,” police wrote.

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