A car slammed into the side of a Middletown house just after midnight on Halloween night, embedding itself about 20 feet from the road and coming within three inches of the building's gas line. No one was hurt, but the house was condemned, and the 25-year-old driver was arrested on DUI charges.
The driver was identified as Daniel Tavares, a 25-year-old man from New Britain, according to WTNH. Police say Tavares was behind the wheel of a 2026 Honda Civic when it struck the house, and as reported by NBC Connecticut, he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after the crash.
Accounts of exactly where and when first responders arrived differ. NBC Connecticut reports that the Middletown Police Department and the Middletown South District Fire District responded to Fountain Avenue at about 12:15 a.m., per police, while Patch places the scene near the intersection of Vine and Cross streets, saying fire crews were dispatched at 12:19 a.m.
A Close Call With the Gas Line
Whatever the precise address, the damage was dramatic. The Civic's front end ended up buried in the side of the house, and officials said the car missed the building's gas service line by about three inches, Patch reports. The near-miss raised the stakes on what was already a chaotic scene along streets packed with Halloween weekend foot traffic near Wesleyan University's campus.
Despite the force of the impact, no injuries were reported among the vehicle's occupants, the people inside the home, or the large number of Wesleyan students who were out on nearby sidewalks that night, according to a Yahoo News report. Tavares refused medical treatment at the scene and was arrested for DUI, the same report notes.
Residents Relocated, Building Condemned
The home's residents did not stay in the damaged house. Wesleyan University and fire officials arranged for them to be relocated, the Yahoo News account states. The Middletown Building Department subsequently condemned the building, a decision confirmed by the WTNH report.
Wesleyan said in a statement that assessments and all necessary repairs to the house are now underway, with safety prioritized before anyone is allowed back inside, according to the same WTNH report. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Middletown Police Department, Patch reports.
What Comes Next in Court
Tavares was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 10, per the WTNH report.
Connecticut law addresses impaired driving under Sec. 14-227a, which the Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Library defines as operation while under the influence of liquor or drugs or while having an elevated blood alcohol content. It remains unclear how that statute applies to the specifics of the Middletown case until further details emerge in court.
