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An SUV struck a telephone pole on County Road 39 shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday. DAWN WATSON
An SUV struck a telephone pole on County Road 39 shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday. DAWN WATSON
A man was uninjured after crashing his SUV into a utility pole in Tuckahoe shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday, September 14—but he faces drunk driving charges for the incident.
Robert Love, 46, of Westhampton Beach made an unsafe lane change heading westbound on County Road 39 while using a cellphone without a hands-free device, and hit the pole, according to Southampton Town Police.
He was arrested on the scene by Southampton Town Police after he told them he had been drinking earlier in the day, and was charged with misdemeanor DWI. He was transported to police headquarters in Hampton Bays and arraigned the next day. He is due back in court at a later date.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash and no one was injured.
The utility pole, located across from the Mercedes-Benz dealership, was cracked at the base and leaning over the westbound lanes of the road at a 45-degree angle, according to Southampton Fire Captain Chris Brenner. County Road 39 was closed to traffic between Hubbard Lane and Magee Street for about 45 minutes while emergency workers cleared the crash.
Fire department crews cut the battery to the SUV and used speedy dry to contain leaking fluids, and were on the scene for 45 minutes before Southampton Town Police and Long Island Power Authority workers took over to investigate the accident further.
