Photo by HUDSON POLICE Rafael Rameriz, 25, of Lawrence, MA

HUDSON – A Lawrence, Massachusetts, man was arrested, booked then released on bail pending arraignment early Sunday morning, the result of a single-car crash that snapped a utility pole and took wires down on Melendy Road.

Rafael Rameriz, 25, who police say appeared to be uninjured in the crash, allegedly got out of the damaged 2019 Hyundai and walked away from the scene.

In the meantime, a resident of the area called police upon hearing what sounded like a car crash, officials said.

Arriving officers located the Hyundai, the broken utility pole and the downed wires, but nobody was in sight.

So they began checking streets in the vicinity, and soon located a man walking down Belknap Road not far from the intersection of Melendy and Belknap roads, where the crash

occurred.

In speaking with the man, who officers were able to identify as Rameriz, they “determined he was impaired,” police said.

After a brief investigation, police said the officers arrested Rameriz on charges that include driving while intoxicated, reckless operation, resisting arrest or detention, driving after revocation and possession of a controlled drug.

Police didn’t specify the level of the charges, but possession of a controlled drug is typically a Class B felony, while the other four charges are typically misdemeanors.

Police said they booked Rameriz on the charges, then later released him on bail pending arraignment, which is scheduled for April 25 in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South in Nashua.

Police added that a section of Melendy Road was closed to traffic for several hours as utility crews worked to replace the pole and repair the affected wires.