Man Hits Scaffolding, Hydraulic Lift, Charged With OUI: WPD

WORCESTER, MA—

Police headed to 102 Grove St., the old Northworks building now under renovations, in Worcester around 12:16 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, when a 2003 Nissan Xterra had gotten lodged under a tangled pile of scaffolding on the street. A utility pole, too, had been knocked down and a meter was bent, said police. In addition, there was extensive damage to a JLG hydraulic lift., which had its tire completely ripped off as a result of the impact.

The driver, Jose Velez, 23, Mohave Road, Worcester, sat on the ground talking to firefighters. Two people who had just come out of The Fix restaurant said that they were walking under the scaffolding and saw the Nissan plow through the construction cones and into the lift. The two had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, they told police. These witnesses helped the driver out.

Velez smelled of alcohol, said police, and failed some sobriety tests. Velez was placed under arrest for Failure to Stay within Marked Lanes and Operating a MV Under the Influence of Alcohol.
Velez was transported to a local hospital for treatment and then released back to police custody.

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