Truck Driver Was Drunk When He Slammed Into Pole In West Hartford: Police

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A box truck crash that shut down Albany Avenue's eastbound lanes on Avon Mountain for several hours Tuesday morning led to drunk driving charges for the driver, police said.

According to the West Hartford Police Department, which issued a release on the incident on Wednesday afternoon, the single-vehicle collision occurred at about 9:03 a.m. Tuesday in the area of 3114 Albany Ave.

Police said a 2020 Hino box truck traveling east struck the south-side guardrail, went off the roadway, and hit a utility pole before coming to rest on a snow-covered rocky ridge along the roadside.

The driver, identified as Koby Champagne-Lambert, 25, suffered minor injuries. Officers determined he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, police said.

Champagne-Lambert was charged with operating under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane. Police said he had a blood alcohol content of 0.12.

He was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court Feb. 26.

The truck sustained disabling damage.

Inspectors from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles responded because the vehicle was commercial.

Central Auto used a heavy wrecker and rotator truck to remove it from the scene.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact West Hartford police at 860-523-5203 or submit an anonymous tip through the department’s tip line or email.

For information on the case, click on this link.