Drunk Driver Smashes Into Pole In Bergen County, Closing Road: Police

ORADELL, NJ — A 29-year-old Parsippany man has been charged with drunk driving after he smashed into pole in Bergen County on Sunday night, forcing police to close the road for six hours, they said.

Raj Patel was charged with driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to breath testing, reckless driving, and failure to maintain a lane, said Oradell police on Monday.

Police said that they received a report around 8:30 p.m. Sunday that someone had crashed near Kinderkamack Road and Homestead Place.

Police found that a 2022 BMW X5 had smashed into a PSE&G utility pole, "destroying the pole and bringing down live power lines," they noted.

The road had to close for six hours while utility crews repaired the pole to restore power, police said.

Chief David Gangemi clarified Monday that the power remained on while repairs were made.

Patel was released to await a municipal court appearance, police said.

No one was seriously injured in the crash.

"The Oradell Police Department reminds all motorists to drive responsibly and never operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs," they noted.