Alleged drunk driver hits fire hydrant, floods Wrentham street

December 13, 2017 10:44 am

By: Chloe Leshner
Email: cleshner@abc6.com
Twitter: @cleshnerabc6

WRENTHAM, Mass. (WLNE) — A Massachusetts man is set to be arraigned today after causing a huge mess in Wrentham after crashing his car into a fire hydrant.

Joseph White of Walpole was arrested for an OUI after driving his van right into a fire hydrant and flooding a residential street.

Water was shooting straight into the sky around midnight Tuesday night, flooding Route 1A, and waking up neighbors.

“My husband and I woke up to the sound of the pipes banging and we saw the lights from the emergency crews and then we noticed the van,” said Laura Lallier, a neighbor.

The chaos after 54 year old Joseph White slammed his van into the fire hydrant, causing it to burst and shoot water into the air. He left the scene, allegedly drunk, before police found and arrested him for operating under the influence.

The crash though, leaving a huge mess in the residential, heavily traveled area. Not only did the road flood, but it caused structural damage to the southbound lane. The repairs, leaving a stretch of road closed to traffic as crews work to get rid of the rest of the water, a concern on such a cold day.

“With as much water that came out in the 2 hours before they were finally able to shut the water off, I don’t know what the condition is underneath because it was warm and then we had a cold snap last night so we’ll see,” said Lallier.

Police say White was not cooperative.

They are expecting the detour to be in place throughout the day.