Alleged Underage Drinker Drives into Hydrant, Mailbox

An alleged underage drinker was cited in Murrieta when he sheared a mailbox and fire hydrant off a neighborhood street, sending a geyser of water shooting into the air.

The crash occurred at about 4:40 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Ridgewood and Gitano drives, according to a resident witness who was awakened by the crash.

Murrieta police Lt. Rob Firmes on Wednesday confirmed the crash.

"The driver was under 21 and had alcohol in his system. The legal limit is zero," Firmes told Patch.

"He claimed his tire blew out but we weren't able to confirm that," Firmes said.

Firmes said the driver—whose name was not released—was cited but not arrested. The incident will be filed with the California DMV and the driver stands to lose his license, he said.

Additionally, there were some passengers who allegedly ran off when the car crashed. Police were not able to apprehend them, he said.

The Murrieta Fire Department as well as Eastern Municipal Water District responded to handle the spouting water after the hydrant was torn from its base.

The hydrant had not been replaced as of Wednesday night, according to EMWD Spokesperson Roxanne Rountree.

"It's been tagged for repair which will happen in the next few days," Rountree said.

The commotion woke up at least one neighbor.

"I heard a big huge bang and then saw the fire hydrant crashing into the mailbox," said Amber Cook, who lives across the street from the crash site and supplied photos of the gushing water.

It was unclear whether the mailbox had yet been replaced.