Man Who Hit Phone Pole Charged With Drunk Driving

The driver of a black Mercedes who struck a telephone pole on Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell Sunday was charged with drunk driving, according to West Caldwell Police Chief Michael Bramhall.

Kostantin Kilakos, 54, was traveling south on Passaic at 4:45 p.m. when he mounted the curb and struck the pole with the front passenger side of his full-size S500 Mercedes, Bramhall said.

Kilakos was treated for minor injuries on the scene and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. There were no other passengers in the car. 

Kilakos was charged with both drunk driving and careless driving, Bramhall said. He has a mandatory court date of April 20.

Passaic Avenue was open to local traffic only from Westville to Harrison avenues until 2 a.m. while the pole was repaired.

West Caldwell Officer David Vanderclock is investigating the crash.

Correction: The article originally said incorrectly that Passaic Avenue was closed to local traffic.