WAKE OF DESTRUCTION: Driver arrested for drunk driving after slamming truck into at least 4 other vehicles… including passenger bus… one patient to CCH… [HN VIDEO]
UPDATE: The following is the actual YPD media statement and booking photo… followed by initial HN coverage and video from the scene…
YARMOUTH POLICE ARREST DRUNK DRIVER AFTER CRASHING INTO FOUR VEHICLES
On Wednesday December 27, 2017 at approximately 6:47PM, Yarmouth Police and Firefighters were dispatched to the area of Route 28 and Bliscott Avenue in South Yarmouth regarding several 911 calls reporting a motor vehicle crash that had just occurred.
It was also reported that the vehicle that caused the crash was attempting to leave the scene.
Patrol Officer Andrew Coville arrived on scene and immediately observed a black pickup truck crashed into a large sign at the corner of Seaview Ave and Route 28.
There were several bystanders around the vehicle pointing at the vehicle and yelling that it was in fact the vehicle that had caused the accident.
Officer Coville and other Patrol Officers secured the immediate area and approached the crashed vehicle and observed a white male sitting in the driver seat with the vehicle still running. The front of the vehicle was severely damaged but the man was conscious and alert.
A witness reported that he was directly behind the crashed vehicle during the crash and witnessed the vehicle collide with several other vehicles before crashing into the pole where it was currently stopped.
The witness stated that the operator of the vehicle attempted to back up and leave several times but was unable to due to the severe damage to the vehicle.
The operator identified himself as Francis Caruso. As Francis began to speak, Officer Coville detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. His eyes were blood shot and glassy and his speech was thick tonged and extremely slurred.
The driver stated that he had 3 Sierra Nevada beers approximately 3 hours earlier.
A series of standardized Field Sobriety Tests were administered. At the conclusion of the testing, the driver was placed under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol and transported to Yarmouth Police Department Headquarters.
During the booking process the suspect was extremely uncooperative. He was extremely unsteady on his feet and used the booking counter to brace himself for balance. Francis was extremely argumentative and at times and hostile to the point where he had to be placed in handcuffs again, until he calmed down and was willing to continue the booking process.
As a result of the motor vehicle crash caused by Francis Caruso, two people were transported to Cape Cod Hospital for injuries and four other vehicles were damaged—one of which was a Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority Bus with passengers on board.
The suspect was held overnight and transported to the Barnstable District Court this morning for arraignment.
Refer To Arrest: 17-1322-AR
Arrest: FRANCIS S CARUSO
Address: 39 DORIC AVE Apt. #A DENNIS, MA
Age: 62
Charges:
OUI LIQUOR
OPERATING A MV NEGLIGENTLY SO AS TO ENDANGER
MARKED LANES VIOLATION
Refer To Accident: 17-529-AC
Initial HN coverage and video:
YARMOUTH – Police sources are currently calling this a “5 vehicle collision,” involving a Cape Cod RTA passenger bus (there were reportedly several passengers on board), where a driver of a pickup was ultimately arrested and charged with drunk driving [DEVELOPING].
The accident occurred on Route 28 near the intersection with Seaview Ave, sometime just prior to 7:00PM…
As you will see in the following HN Video, a Nissan pickup truck (driven by the drunk driving suspect), left a wake of destruction which spanned several blocks.
A female was transported to CCH with injuries not believed life-threatening, her condition is unknown at the time of this report.
Traffic along Route 28 was “bottlenecked” down to one intermittent travel lane, causing some delays as police pieced together the scene… YPD was assisted by firefighters who evaluated at least two people possibly injured. Firefighters also had to deal with fluids in the roadway…
Work conditions were frigid as first responders did their best to get things running smoothly again…
[DEVELOPING – Check back for updated details…]
The following HN Video highlights some of the scene.
[PRESS PLAY]