Police: Whittier man accused of DUI following 3 hit-and-runs in Irwindale

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IRWINDALE — Police, aided by a good Samaritan, arrested an intoxicated driver after he fled the scenes of several crashes, including one that sheared a fire hydrant, sending a geyser of water erupting into the air, officials said.
Daniel Lopez, 39, was booked on suspicion of intoxicated driving and hit-and-run following the series of crashes, which took place shortly after 4 p.m., Irwindale police Sgt. George Zendejas said.
“Irwindale police dispatch received a call from a citizen advising they were following a drunk driver who had just hit a fire hydrant,” the sergeant said.
The sheared off hydrant sent water spewing high into the air at the northwest corner of Arrow Highway and 4th Street, Zendejas said.
But the white cargo van continued driving as the caller reported its position to police, he said.
The van made a U-turn on Irwindale Avenue at Ornelas Street and struck a light pole, Zendejas said. But the driver continued on.
The van struck a fixed object at a gas station at Irwindale Avenue and Arrow Highway just before police caught up with it, Zendejas said. Police stopped the driver as he drove back toward the sheared hydrant and became caught in the traffic it created.
Officers determined Lopez was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both, and placed him under arrest.
Zendejas commended the witness for calling police and helping direct them to the driver.
According to county booking records, Lopez was released from jail on $5,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.

PHOTO courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department

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