A man suspected of driving while intoxicated was arrested early Friday morning after he reportedly lost control of his pickup and slammed into the front of the Ace Hardware store in downtown Watsonville.
Caught on security video, the white Chevrolet truck is shown coming around the corner from East Lake Avenue onto southbound Main Street just after 2:30am. The driver, later identified at Juan Carlos Contreras, 25, then veers over the sidewalk and crashes into Ace Hardware, shattering at least six large plate glass windows, about 35-feet of storefront glass. He then continues driving south with one wheel destroyed, emitting a shower of sparks and he heads down Main Street.
Watsonville Police caught footage of the truck heading over the Main Street bridge thanks to their Flock camera system, leaving a trail of sparks.
Within 20 minutes, Watsonville Police found Contreras in Pajaro and his damaged truck. During the investigation, officers conducted field sobriety tests and learned that Contreras was under the influence of alcohol.
