Dartmouth Man Arrested in Early-Morning Westport Crash

WESTPORT (1420 AM) — A Dartmouth man is under arrest after allegedly crashing into a fire hydrant near White’s of Westport, flooding the roadway as his car was on fire.

According to Westport Police, officers responded to the area of 66 State Road, near White’s of Westport, early this morning at about 2:36 a.m. for a reported motor vehicle crash.

“The caller stated a vehicle had struck a fire hydrant at that location and was currently on fire,” police said in a release. “Officers arrived on scene and observed the roadway to be actively flooding and flames were coming from the vehicle’s engine compartment.”

The driver, later identified as Tucker Rose of Dartmouth, was trapped in the vehicle. Officers put out the engine fire while removing him from the vehicle. Once he was removed, the fire reignited and was later extinguished by Westport firefighters.

According to police, the City of Fall River Water Department responded to assist with the flooded roadway as a result of the ruptured hydrant. MassDOT was called to the scene to assist with traffic and clean out the gravel and dirt that had washed into the roadway.

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Police said that when officers spoke with Rose, they noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. They also said his speech was slurred and that he had glassy and bloodshot eyes.

“Looking towards Fall River, he pointed and stated he had almost made it home and lived right over there,” police said, despite Rose having a Dartmouth address. “He also had blood and vomit on his sweatshirt. Subsequently, Rose was placed under arrest and, due to the severity of the crash, transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford for non life-threatening injuries.”

Westport Police are seeking to charge Rose with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violations, and speeding.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or the vehicle traveling on State Road prior to the crash is asked to contact Westport Police at (508) 636-1122.