Alcohol and drugs contributed to a single-car crash on Shore
Road that sheared a telephone pole in half but caused no injuries
to the driver Saturday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol
said.
Alcohol and drugs contributed to a single-car crash on Shore Road that sheared a telephone pole in half but caused no injuries to the driver Saturday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol said.
Hollister resident Osvaldo Gonzalez, 30, was driving his 1996 Toyota Tercel with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, had a bag of marijuana in his possession and admitted to taking pills to “wake him up” at the time of the 2:15 p.m. accident, said CHP Officer Terry Mayes.
“He just let (the car) sneak away,” Mayes said.
Gonzalez was driving eastbound on Shore Road just east of Lake Road when his car collided with a power pole, according to a CHP report.
The collision downed several power lines that blocked both the east and westbound lanes of Shore Road, and also required that Shore Road between Frazer Lake and Lovers Lane be closed for more than two hours.
While Gonzalez’s car sustained moderate damage to the front passenger side, he walked away from the accident without any injuries, Mayes said.
“That’s what happens when your body is really relaxed,” she said. “Depending on the power pole, the taller they are the easier they are to smack and shear. If you catch them just right it doesn’t take a whole lot to snap them.”
PG&E arrived shortly, de-energized and removed the pole and transformers from the roadway, and had power restored within two hours, according to the report.
Traffic traveling south down Frazer Lake was diverted to Highway 25, while traffic on Shore Road detoured to Highway 152.
Gonzalez was not taken to the hospital, but straight to the San Benito County Jail where he was arrested and booked for driving under the influence, resisting or obstructing arrest, possession of marijuana and driving on a suspended license, according to the jail.
He was released the same day on his own recognizance.
