Drunken Driver Hit Utility Pole In Avon Lake: Police

AVON LAKE, OH — A drunken driver hit a utility pole, cracking it in half and downing power lines, Avon Lake police said. The driver told officers he almost made it home without being caught, according to case records.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 6, callers began reporting that a car had gone off the road and collided with a utility pole near Lear Road and Gramercy Lane.

When officers arrived, they saw a white Kia sitting partially atop a cracked utility pole. The accident had happened just south of the Gramercy Lane entrance.

The driver, a 40-year-old man, was conscious and oriented. However, he smelled strongly of alcohol, slurred his words, and had bloodshot eyes, according to police.

The officer on the scene asked the driver if he had been drinking. The man reportedly said he had consumed five or six beers and had taken "speed pills." According to police records, the man then said, "I feel so stupid I almost made it home without getting caught."

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The man was taken to St. John Medical Center for treatment. While at the hospital, a legal blood draw was done to test his alcohol consumption. The man was cited for reasonable control of a motor vehicle and driving under the influence of liquor.

According to Avon Lake Municipal Court records, the man has entered a not guilty plea to the charges.

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