Updated 7:50 p.m.–
Westbound traffic was closed on Greenback Lane near Birdcage Street Friday evening after an RV crashed into a fire hydrant, spewing water into the roadway for over an hour. The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Police Sgt. Ken Lewis said the incident occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Friday and involved a 2002 Mercedes sedan and an older model RV. He said the vehicles collided as the RV was making a left-hand turn across Greenback Lane into the Harbor Freight parking lot and the sedan was traveling westbound on Greenback Lane.
Metro Fire personnel on scene were apparently unable to shut off the steady stream of water spraying up from underneath the RV, until a tow truck pulled the vehicle off the hydrant and allowed emergency crews to finally stop the flow of water around 6 p.m.
The incident caused westbound lanes of Greenback to be closed as emergency vehicles blocked all lanes of traffic and water poured into the street. Drivers were diverted off the roadway and into parking lots along Greenback lane, causing traffic to back up to Sunrise Boulevard.
As of 5:45 p.m., westbound lanes of Greenback were still completely blocked and water was still gushing from the hydrant. Live streaming video taken at the scene by The Sentinel around 6 p.m. shows a large geyser of water shoot 30 feet into the air after the RV was lifted off the hydrant.
VIDEO: See live footage from the collision scene.
Sgt. Lewis said the cause of the collision was still being looked into as of 7 p.m. Friday, but he said the driver of the RV, Gregory Graver, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence.
All lanes of traffic on Greenback were reopened by 6:15 p.m.
