Man Charged with DWI After Utility Pole Strike
Hillsdale resident Victor Frazita, 84, is alleged to have been under the influence when he hit a telephone pole on Van Emburgh Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 23.
An 84-year-old man from Hillsdale is facing DWI charges for allegedly tossing a few back before he lost control of his vehicle on Van Emburgh Avenue and slammed into a utility pole.
According to Ridgewood police, Victor Frazita was traveling north on Van Emburgh Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 23 when he lost control of his vehicle near Orville Place and hit the utility pole.
The force of the impact split the pole and damaged another pole tethered to it.
Authorities say Frazita was extricated from the heavily damaged vehicle and upon completing the investigation, was charged by police with DWI and failure to maintain lane.
He was taken to Valley Hospital that night with what were called non-life-threatening injuries.
Ridgewood police claim Frazita was the second person that day to have driven drunk into a telephone pole.
Hours earlier, police say a Ridgewood doctor got behind the wheel while intoxicated, struck a telephone pole, fled the scene and then struck another pole.
The man, identified by police as Victor-Melt Campos, 37, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson with serious head trauma injuries.
Frazita has an upcoming date at Ridgewood Municipal Court.
Have a question or news tip? Contact editor James Kleimann at James.Kleimann@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox every morning, sign up for our daily newsletter.
jp1
4:41 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
At 84 maybe he should only drink at home,as for driving while drunk take his privileges away for 10 years.
Timothy Soddington
8:27 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Is anyone surprised? Ridgewood is the drunk driving capital of New Jersey it feels like. It's all the affluent people who go downtown and down a huge volume of liquor during dinner at one of the 84 restaurants and come home.
D Taylor
9:58 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
First Dr Melt- Campos takes out two, now this geriatric boozer drops another, why do these drunks hate our telephone poles?
Mikka H
10:04 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Holy crap 84 years old......silly old coot.....he should not be driving at 84 let alone driving drunk at 84......he was most likely at the Brass Lamp......
AC Willment
2:17 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Note to the editor: You can't allegedly strike a pole. Either the driver struck the pole or he didn't. You mean he was allegedly drunk or allegedly under the influence, but there is no doubt he struck the pole.
News Man
3:49 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Your comment is well taken AC Willment.
Perhaps, the headline should be re-written.
James Kleimann
9:30 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Good point, fixed. Thanks.