Berkeley police: DUI driver strikes building, 2 displaced
A nearby stop sign was also sheared off in the collision.
Berkeley police arrested a suspected DUI driver early Tuesday morning after he struck a building, displacing two residents due to concerns about structural damage, authorities report.
Police were called at about 1:40 a.m. for a crash where a man driving a red Honda CRV hit a building in the 1400 block of Addison Street at Sacramento Street.
Arriving officers said the driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
Berkeley police ultimately arrested the man on suspicion of driving under the influence after conducting field sobriety tests.
Police noted moderate structural damage to the four-unit building and asked the Berkeley Fire Department to assess it further.
"Out of an abundance of caution the residents were evacuated as there were concerns about the structural integrity of the building after the collision," BPD said.
BFD called in a structural engineer to assess the extent of the damage.
The fire department also called the American Red Cross to help two residents who were displaced by the crash.
A nearby stop sign was also sheared off in the collision, police said.
Authorities alerted public works to handle those repairs.
The driver was identified as 47-year-old Rafael Rivera (no address), police said.
He was arrested on suspicion of DUI, having a blood alcohol content of at least .08%, hit-and-run causing property damage and having an open container, according to booking records.
Rivera is being held on $30,000 bail and is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 13, 2025, according to jail records.
