Crime & Safety
DUI Charge for Man, 19, After 5:30 AM Crash into Phone Pole
The man's car crossed the lane for oncoming traffic and crashed into a utility pole on the other side of the road, but he received only minor injuries in the accident.
A 19-year-old man was charged Monday, Aug. 19, with driving under the age of 21 while under the influence of alcohol after his car crashed into a utility pole at about 5:30 a.m.
The car's airbags deployed, and he had only minor injuries, police said.
Darien police gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the incident:
Erwin Martinez of Matthew Street in Stamford was driving a 2010 Nissan Altima south on Hollow Tree Ridge Road when he drove across the double yellow line into the opposite lane, then off the road and crashed into a utility pole near 334 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd.
Officers speaking to Martinez smelled alcohol and asked him if he'd been drinking. He said he had three or four beers earlier. Martinez failed his field sobriety tests.
He also admitted to police that he had a suspended driver's license. He was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving with a suspended driver's license and failure to drive on the right side of the road. Martinez was initially held on a $250 bond and was scheduled to appear Aug. 30 in state Superior Court in Stamford.
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