***  WATCH ***  DRIVER ARRESTED AFTER ALMOST STRIKING HYANNIS NEWS VEHICLE… PLUS OTHER ROADWAY MADNESS…

HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS – [HN VIDEO NOTES] – HN was stopped at a traffic light this morning at around 1:15 a.m. when an SUV almost rammed my vehicle from behind. As you will see in the following HN dashcam video, the SUV continued traveling erratically on Main Street toward the West End rotary. HN called police and the video shows a Barnstable Police prowl car eventually stopping the SUV on Scudder Ave. There was a language barrier between the driver and police… and a Barnstable Police sergeant eventually arrived on scene with a special phone to assist with Spanish-English translation. HN video footage then shows the operator of the SUV – a 22-year-old with a Hyannis address – apparently unsteady while attempting police field sobriety testing. He was eventually taken into custody on the suspicion of Operating Under the Influence. He is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. [HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]   ADDITIONAL HN ROADWAY SURVIVAL NOTES: It’s important to pay attention in all directions, at all times. This morning, I was fortunately able to see the SUV approaching me at the red light while not slowing down. And I was able to move forward just in time to avoid being rear-ended… which would have been major a pain in the arse, to say the least. Personally, I’m sick and tired of people driving drunk and endangering themselves and others here on the Cape. More needs to be done to stop all the damage caused by these impaired or otherwise distracted drivers here… but in the meantime, I strongly urge everyone to drive defensively at all times – like your life depended on it – because it most certainly does. Driving here on the Cape is extremely dangerous business. It’s not just a summer issue, it’s dangerous year-round. Serious crashes happen across the Cape at all hours, 24/7. Many of these crashes go uncovered because there are simply too many. And this past weekend was no exception… HN was working on another story in the Hyannis area, when the alarming sound of screeching tires suddenly broke squelch in the background of a state police radio transmission. There had just been a bad crash on the Bourne Bridge!  It was around 10:45 p.m. Saturday evening and the trooper had been on or near the bridge. It was head-on crash and a total of three vehicles were reportedly involved, according to radio transmissions. A number of ambulances reportedly responded to help six patients who fortunately only suffered relatively minor injuries. PEDESTRIAN STRUCK IN SANDWICH SANDWICH POLICE MEDIA STATEMENT: “At approximately 3:30 p.m. [Sunday,] Sandwich Police responded to a motor vehicle vs pedestrian crash in the area of 292 Cotuit Road. Upon arrival, Officers learned a 21-year-old Sandwich resident [was] struck by a sports utility vehicle. The victim was walking on the side of the road when the incident took place. The victim was transported to Brigham & Women’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The motor vehicle crash is under investigation by the Sandwich Police Crash Reconstruction Team.”     [BOURNE PD IMAGES/HN EDITS]     ROLLOVER CRASH SHUT DOWN MACARTHUR BLVD SUNDAY EVENING  According to radio transmissions, Firefighters in Bourne needed to use the “Jaws of Life” to free a person from the wreckage after a two-vehicle crash on MacArthur Boulevard Sunday evening. The crash happened in the area of the Bay View Campground at around 10:45 p.m., according to radio transmissions. One of the vehicles reportedly rolled over. There were three patients. One of the patients was transported to an off-Cape trauma center. The others were taken to Falmouth Hospital. Both Bourne Police and state police were working the crash scene.         SUV TAKES DOWN POWER LINES IN DENNIS [HN PHOTOS] HN received word of a serious crash on Old Bass River Road (in the area of Calvin Drive) in Dennis last evening. The crash reportedly happened around 9:00 p.m., but HN was not able to respond until later in the evening, shortly after midnight. Old Bass River Road was still closed down when HN arrived on scene. And a white SUV was still wedged against a tree… with a utility pole across the roadway. There was reportedly power outages in the area, and police had the road completely blocked off while awaiting Eversource to make the necessary repairs. At the time of this report, there was no word on the condition of the driver/occupants…     There were many other serious crashes this past weekend… too many to possibly cover. But the fact is, driving here on the Cape is dangerous business these days. And I strongly urge everyone to keep their eyes peeled while always driving defensively. With careful driving and luck, one might actually avoid becoming another Cape Cod crash victim!  It’s a longshot, but possible… Please be safe out there! P.S. – Today’s Hytown Vignette is a brought to you by The Cars…  [CLICK IT/CRANK IT!]