Edgartown police said Falmouth man hit pole then ran from car

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Edgartown police said a Falmouth man arrested on two separate charges of operating under the influence of alcohol in the past two months struck a utility pole Monday evening, then fled the scene.

Police Tuesday issued a summons to Daniel Moraga, 32, of East Falmouth for leaving the scene of an accident, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, marked lanes violation, and speeding.

At about 7 pm, Monday, police responded to a report of an accident on Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, where they found a heavily damaged late model Dodge Challenger off the roadway at the corner of 9th Street. Witnesses told police the driver entered Edgartown-Vineyard Haven road from a side street, accelerated quickly and lost control of the vehicle.

“The vehicle had sustained heavy front end damage, the front airbags had been deployed and the windshield had a spider fracture on the passenger side,” Officer Jeff Trudell wrote in his report. “The force of the impact had caused the telephone pole to fracture in half.”

Witnesses said the driver fled into the nearby woods.

Officer Trudel checked a home on 18th Street where he knew Mr. Moraga was staying with his girlfriend, but could not locate him. He then began a search of the wooded areas with Buster, his K-9 partner, but still could not find Mr. Moraga.

At 2:30 am, Tuesday morning, Mr. Moraga phoned Edgartown police and admitted he crashed the vehicle after he had a fight with his girlfriend, and fled because he was nervous about the two open cases in Edgartown District Court. According to police, Mr. Moraga was arrested in May and again in June for driving under the influence of alcohol.