A 32-year-old driver who received a minor injury when his car struck a stone wall on the side of Hollow Tree Ridge Road in August has been charged with driving while under the influence, Darien police said.
Police described what happened with this account, including accusations not proven in court:
The crash happened at about 1:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 5.
(Darienite.com could find no previous Darien police announcement of this incident, although it led to what police now describe as a minor injury and the driver going to the hospital.)
The accident occurred on Hollow Tree Ridge Road near Wee Burn Lane. In that area, Hollow Tree Ridge Road makes a roughly 90-degree turn.
The 2017 Ford Mustang had struck roadway signs before colliding with the stone wall. The driver, Daniel Buckley of Milford, told police that something entered the roadway, causing him to swerve and strike the wall.
Buckley displayed signs that he was intoxicated and told officers that he had been drinking alcohol.
He also complained of a minor injury, so he was taken to a hospital. Using a search warrant police received medical records from the hospital, a common practice when police say there are indications of driving while intoxicated.
Medical records showed Buckley had a blood-alcohol content of 0.8 — the legal limit — at 3:21 a.m., almost two hours after the accident, and 0.7 at 4:08 a.m.
Darien police then applied for an arrest warrant charging Buckley with driving while under the influence and making an improper turn. The warrant was approved by a prosecutor and a judge.
Buckley was informed of the charges and on Thursday, Oct. 10, he turned himself in to police at Police Headquarters. He was released on a court-set bond of $2,500 and is scheduled to appear Oct. 21 in state Superior Court in Stamford.