Swansea Police arrest 67-year-old man on several charges after highway crash

SWANSEA — Chief Mark Foley reports that the Swansea Police Department arrested a North Dighton man on several charges after a single-vehicle crash on Saturday night.

At just before 8:45 p.m., Swansea Police responded to the area of 800 Grand Army of the Republic Highway for reports of a single-vehicle crash. 

Officers arrived on scene to find a white van stopped in a grassy area near a gas station. 

A preliminary investigation determined that the driver of the van, identified as 67-year-old Gary Silva of North Dighton, had been traveling southbound on Route 118 at a high rate of speed. The vehicle went through a red light at the intersection of Route 118 and Route 6 and through the gas station parking lot, where it crashed into a wooded area behind the gas station. 

The vehicle then attempted to reverse out of the wooded area back into the gas station parking lot when a witness intervened. The witness was able to safely put the vehicle in park and remove the keys from the vehicle. 

No injuries were reported as a result of the crash. 

A subsequent investigation determined that Silva was operating under the influence at the time of the crash. 

 He was arrested without incident and charged with Operating Under the Influence of Liquor, Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Stop for a Red Light, and Marked Lanes Violation.

Silva will be arraigned in Fall River District Court on Tuesday.