Off-duty firefighter responds to Putnam car crash, driver charged with DUI

PUTNAM — An off-duty firefighter was first to respond Sunday evening to a car crash in Putnam where a vehicle struck a utility pole on Grove Street.

According to the Putnam Police Department, emergency dispatch received multiple 911 calls around 5:02 p.m. reporting the accident.

The firefighter on scene quickly requested emergency medical services for the driver’s evaluation and the Putnam Fire Department to address roadway debris and fluids.

Police officers, along with the fire department, closed Grove Street from Perry Street to King Street as they attended to the incident.

The driver, identified as 24-year-old Christopher Whitfield of Putnam, was checked by Putnam EMS and chose not to be transported to a hospital.

The investigation revealed that Whitfield, driving westward on Grove Street in a 2016 Audi A3, had been speeding before veering off the road and hitting the pole.

Whitfield now faces charges including Operating Under the Influence, Traveling Unreasonably Fast, and Failure to Drive Right.

He was released on a $500 non-surety bond and is slated to appear in Danielson Superior Court on Nov. 13.