DUI suspect hits fire hydrant – and takes it home with her, Atwater police say

A 70-year-old Atwater woman crashed into a fire hydrant Thursday night, which became wedged into her vehicle’s undercarriage. She drove off, dragging the heavy fireplug all the way back to her home, leaving a trail of minor road damage behind her, the Atwater Police Department reported.

Officers followed the scars in the road to a home on Diablo Court in the Castle Vista neighborhood, a gated community for senior citizens in northeast Atwater. Police found a white Ford Explorer parked outside with the fire hydrant still jammed under the vehicle. The left front end of the Explorer also was damaged, including the driver’s side headlight assembly and the driver’s side wheel appeared bent, Chief Samuel Joseph said.

Investigators said the driver, Sandra Williams, answered the front door at the home and appeared to be intoxicated. She initially denied any involvement in a collision but eventually admitted she had crashed into the hydrant and drove off when she didn’t see anyone else in the area. She said she was “unaware” the hydrant was wedged under her vehicle, according to police.

Williams’ blood-alcohol level was measured at .22 and .23, nearly three times the legal limit, police said.

There were no injuries reported.

“I’m very glad she wasn’t hurt and it’s extremely fortunate that nobody else was hurt,” Joseph said.

Karen Cervantes was watching the Oakland Raiders game on Thursday Night Football when she heard a loud crashing sound outside her home just before 7 p.m.

“It sounded like an explosion but when we came outside, there was nothing out here and we couldn’t figure out what happened,” Cervantes told the Sun-Star. “Then we noticed the hydrant was gone.”

Police had received multiple 911 calls reporting a sport-utility vehicle driving recklessly and traveling in the wrong lane of traffic, heading west in the eastbound lane on Juniper Avenue. Investigators said the Ford left the road and went up onto a sidewalk where it slammed into the hydrant about 20 feet from Cervantes’ front door.

The loud crash awoke Cervantes’ nephew, Martin Valadez.

“It was like a big boom and we thought it must have been an accident,” Valadez said. “People drive really fast on this road all the time. There are crashes.”

Cervantes said a small amount of water came out of the spot where the hydrant had been, but an automatic shutoff switch was triggered, stopping water from pouring into the street.

The vehicle drove away, dragging the hydrant, which left gouges in the road that police used to track the driver back to her home, about half a mile away, Joseph said.

Police called paramedics from Riggs Ambulance Services to examine Williams at her home. She was not injured, authorities said.

Joseph said officers arrested Williams but chose not to book her into the Merced County Jail due to her age and several health-related issues. She was ordered to appear in court in January and released to a family member, authorities said.

“You never want to see anyone get hurt and fortunately there were no pedestrians struck or kids on bikes on the sidewalks or near the sidewalks,” Joseph said. “It appears that striking the hydrant may have prevented her from continuing along that area where others may have been.”

The Ford Explorer was towed for evidence and the hydrant was removed. Police put damage estimates for the hydrant at around $300. A roadway damage estimate was not available.

“If anyone had been out here, they would’ve been hit,” Cervantes said. “I’m glad they caught her.”

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 4:56 PM with the headline "DUI suspect hits fire hydrant – and takes it home with her, Atwater police say."