MURRIETA, CA — A man suspected of driving under the influence was arrested after his pickup truck struck a fire hydrant in Murrieta, sending a towering spray of water into the air before he fled the scene on foot, police said Wednesday.
The crash occurred Oct. 18 when passersby noticed water shooting high into the air from the damaged hydrant, prompting attention to the scene, according to the Murrieta Police Department.
Officers responded and found a damaged pickup truck nearby with its airbags deployed, but the driver was gone, police said.
Police later received a report of a blood-covered man walking near a freeway off-ramp. Officers located the man and determined he was suspected of driving while intoxicated, the police said.
The man had a laceration on his head when he was taken into custody and booked into jail. Police did not release his name.
"The funny thing about fire hydrants is that they typically don't fail on their own," Murrieta PD wrote on Instagram. "It usually takes an outside stimulus to cause it to start belching water. A wrench, for instance. Or, very occasionally, a 3,000-pound truck."
Police urged drivers to plan ahead before drinking alcohol, recommending rideshare services or a designated sober driver to prevent impaired driving.
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