Vehicle crashes into utility poles, car parked in Lakes Road driveway

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, a vehicle crashed into two utility poles and a car parked in a residential driveway on Lakes Road in the Village of Monroe. For the owner of the property, incidents such as these are becoming all too familiar.

“This is the third car that I have lost at the same location,” said Edwin Morales, who lives on Lakes Road near McElroy Place with his wife and two children. “We were asleep and heard a bang. We went outside and saw the damage. We called the police and the fire department was able to get him out. Had someone been in the driveway they could have been killed.”

Morales said he plans on bringing the issue to the attention of local officials.

“We need some protection from the village, town or the county to put some barriers or a light or sign to slow people down,” he said. “Last October, a car ran into a barrier that divides my property and my neighbor’s property. The speed limit has to be dropped to 15. They have it at 30 and people are doing 100.”

Lakes Road is a county road.

Driver charged with drunk driving

State police executive director of public information Beau Duffy said the driver in Saturday’s crash was charged with drunk driving.

“The investigation revealed that Richard J. Horaz, 50, of Newburgh, was traveling south on Lakes Road when his 2018 Ford F-150 veered off to the left shoulder and struck a utility pole, a vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence, and a second utility pole before rolling over,” Duffy said. “Horaz was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and was also ticketed for vehicle and traffic law violations. He was transported to Garnet Health Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries and was released.”

Horaz is due in Monroe Village Court on July 15.