By Matt Kyle | Assistant News Editor, Video by Danika Young | Broadcast Reporter
Updated as of Thursday, October 6
The driver in the car crash that knocked out power to several homes on S. Third Street early Wednesday morning has been identified as Hope Suzanne Gandy, 52, according to a Waco police arrest affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Gandy told responding officers she drank “four screwdrivers” at a nearby restaurant and was attempting to drive home prior to the crash. Gandy was charged with driving while intoxicated with three or more prior convictions, a third-degree felony and was transported to the McLennan County Jail after being taken to Hillcrest Hospital, the affidavit stated.
As of Thursday, Gandy has been bonded out of jail on $5,000 bond, according to McLennan County Jail officials.
Original story below
A car crashed into a utility pole around 1:10 a.m. Wednesday on the 2300 block of S. Third Street, knocking out power in several homes in the area and leaving the car engulfed in flames.
Witnesses said about 10 police cars, three fire engines and two ambulances responded to the crash, leaving Third Street awash in flashing red and blue lights for about an hour.
Texas State Technical College student Tyler Vaughn said he was in the living room of his house when he heard a loud crash from outside. He said the driver of the car, a middle-aged woman, didn’t appear to be injured by the crash but seemed to be intoxicated.
“I walked outside, and I saw this car crashed into a pole,” Vaughn said. “I saw the car started catching on fire. I ran out there and went through the fence and got to the car, opened up the door. I had to pry it open because it wouldn’t open, and I saw this lady in there.”
Vaughn said the driver was the only occupant of the vehicle. After pulling the woman from the vehicle, Vaughn said one of his neighbors, a registered nurse, came outside to render aid to the driver. Vaughn said the driver told the nurse she had been drinking.
“Whenever the nurse was talking to her, she was asking her if she’d been drinking that night, and she did say yes,” Vaughn said.
The crash Wednesday morning comes about two and a half weeks after a high-speed rollover crash left one Baylor student dead and sent another to jail on an intoxication manslaughter charge. The driver in that incident told responders he had been drinking before the crash and has since been bailed out on a $40,000 bond.
The two crashes occurred about 0.8 miles apart from each other, both on S. Third Street.
Austin junior Dawson Mason said he was lying in bed when he heard the crash, which knocked out his power for about an hour.
“I came outside, and I saw just a car that was flaming,” Mason said. “It was pretty much engulfed. The engine and the front of it was on fire.”
Houston junior Gabby Vozzelli said she lost power immediately after hearing the boom from the crash. She said the car was not on fire at first, but once it was, the flames spread quickly.
Vozzelli said residents in the houses across the street, where Vaughn lives, quickly responded to the crash.
Vaughn said after he pulled the driver from the car, he went to get a fire extinguisher.
“I tried to go and get a fire extinguisher and put out the fire in the car,” Vaughn said. “But by that time, it was already too big. I couldn’t really do too much about it.”
Vaughn said firefighters responded to the crash a few minutes after his girlfriend called 911 and quickly put out the fire.
