Accused Drunk Driver Crashes Van Into Littleton Market

LITTLETON (CBS) – An accused drunk driver is facing several charges after crashing into a market in Littleton overnight.

Police said the 21-year-old was in a van heading down Goldsmith Street around 11 p.m. Sunday when he raced through the King Street intersection, tore through a loading dock on the side of the New Oriental Supermarket and a fence before the van hit a tree in the woods and finally came to a stop.

The driver, who has not been identified, was rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester in serious condition.

"This could have been an extreme tragedy," Littleton Police Chief Matthew Pinard told WBZ-TV. "It's one of our busy intersections."

The fire department said the driver initially told them he lost control of his brakes. He's now charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to stop at a stop sign and other driving offenses.

Pinard said the driver may have passed out at the wheel and woke up when he hit a pothole in the parking lot.

"You can see where the brakes locked up. There's probably about 30 feet of skid marks right there," the chief said.

A crane was brought in to pull the damaged van out of the woods.

A sign outside the market said it will be open for business Monday.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation.