A 32-year-old Essex man suffered head and hand injuries in a car crash Saturday by the train bridge on Magnolia Avenue in Gloucester.
Police filed a criminal complaint in court against the man on charges of drunken driving, negligent driving, a marked lanes violation and speeding. The man was treated on scene for his injuries and was transported to Beverly Hospital by the Gloucester Fire Department ambulance, police said.
From the marks on the road, police said it appeared the Jeep was heading west on Magnolia Avenue toward Essex Avenue at a high rate of speed when it entered the sharp curve, crossed the solid yellow line into the oncoming lane, hit the dirt shoulder and struck a tree about 20 feet off the road, rolling onto its side and trapping the driver.
Police said the driver, hanging upside down by his seat belt, gave them a blank look and was bleeding from his hands and head when found. The man told police he was alone, and they advised him to stay still until the rescue squad arrived. Police said they could smell a strong odor of an alcohol on his breath.
The Fire Department was able to free the driver and treat him. Police were able to speak with the driver in the back of the ambulance, according to the report. They said they observed his eyes were red and glassy and there was still a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage…
