BURLINGTON, Mass. — Dash cam video captured a suspected drunken driver run over a transformer and then slam into a utility pole on the Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington Sunday evening.
Matt Schonewald told Boston 25 News he was getting off I-95 North just after 5 p.m. when he spotted a red SUV take out a road sign and continue to drive recklessly past the Burlington Mall.
"When I first saw him swerving around the road, I thought he was having some sort of medical emergency because it was that dramatic of swerving," Schonewald recalled. "I've never seen anything in my life like that."
Schonewald's dash cam was recording as he called 911 and followed the SUV from a distance, providing police with his location.
The dash cam video shows the SUV drive over two separate raised medians, crossing into the oncoming lane of traffic both times, before running over a transformer on the side of the road.
“It just crumbled,” Schonewald said. “It was just wires everywhere.”
The driver of the SUV stopped for about ten seconds, but then kept going.
The video shows him racing down the opposite lane of traffic on the Middlesex Turnpike.
About 20 seconds later, he slammed into a utility pole, which fell into the road, bringing power lines down as well. Smoke can be seen pouring out of the SUV.
"I saw him go over the transformer box and I thought that was it, then he just kind of peeled away and kept driving against the traffic until he hit the phone pole," Schonewald said.
A Burlington police officer arrived at the scene less than a minute later.
Schonewald noted how the normally busy road was much less congested than normal because of the stay-at-home advisory in effect in Massachusetts.
“Imagine if 80% of the world wasn’t held up in their house,” Schonewald said. “It’s a very populated area. The Burlington Mall is right there.”
The man behind the wheel of the SUV was 57-year-old Thomas White of Woburn, Burlington Police Captain Gregory Skehan told Boston 25 News. White was conscious when he was transported by ambulance to Lahey Hospital.
Police have summonsed White to Woburn District court on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, possession of an open container of alcohol, failure to keep right and failure to yield.
Eversource was called to the scene to repair the downed pole and electrical damage.
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