Police: DUI driver sent fire hydrant airborne
WOONSOCKET –A Massachusetts woman is facing drug and drugged-driving charges after a motor vehicle crash that turned a fire hydrant into airborne missile, damaging a second car and a house before it came to rest.
Jennifer Isabella Gervais, 38, of Millbury, is charged with operating under the influence and three counts of possession of a controlled substance, including amphetamines and tranquilizers.
She was also cited for speeding, leaving a lane of travel and failure to maintain control of her vehicle.
Police said she was driving a gray Volvo SUV eastbound on Diamond Hill Road shortly after 7 Saturday morning when she veered into the wrong lane, climbed a curb and slammed into a fire hydrant near Nys Flowers. Propelled into the air by the force of the crash, the hydrant struck and completely smashed the rear windshield of a parked Volkswagen sedan and a house at 522 Diamond Hill Road, causing damage to the siding, police said.
Responding Officer Joseph A. Wasilewski said the hydrant was found about 30 feet from its mount, and Gervais’ vehicle continued traveling for approximately
250 feet before coming to rest after the initial crash.
Wasilewski said her car had two flat tires and Gervais had trouble explaining exactly what occurred prior to the accident, but she mentioned that she was en route to a methadone clinic when it happened.
Police found a bottle of pills in her car with four different kinds of prescription medicines in it. Gervais had a valid prescription for only one of those substances, causing her to be charged with possessing the others unlawfully.
An officer who is certified to determine whether motorists are impaired on alcohol and other substances was dispatched to conduct a battery of field sobriety tests on Gervais.
Patrol Officer Michael A. Martinsen said Gervais agreed to take a breath alcohol test. The results showed she had zero alcohol in her system, but the officer never- theless concluded she was driving under the influence of “something other than alcohol,” Martinsen’s report says.
“Her eyes were not blood shot but were glassy,” the officer noted. “Gervais had a difficult time formulating thoughts and completing sentences.”
Gervais agreed to provide police with a sample of her blood for further testing. Before being booked at police headquarters, she was transported to Landmark Medical Center to have the sample drawn.