DUI Suspected After Man Crashes Into Rancho Mirage Light Pole

A suspected drunken driver plowed his small car into a light pole early Sunday in Rancho Mirage and suffered major injuries.

James Lesley Kaufman, 56, of Cathedral City, had been driving west on Highway 111 in his Hyundai Accent when he approached Country Club Drive at about 3:22 a.m., Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Radek Horkel said.

Kaufman lost control of his car and crashed into the pole, leaving him with injuries severe enough to admit him to a hospital.

Deputies suspected that alcohol played a role in the crash and will recommend the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office file charges of drunken driving against Kaufman, Horkel said.

— City News Service.