Crime & Safety
UPDATE: Police ID Drunk Driver That Crashed Stolen Car Into Pool
Michael Nottingham, 22, of Bensalem was charged with DUI.
State police have identified the drunk driver who crashed a stolen car through a fence in a residential neighborhood and into an above-ground swimming pool as Michael Nottingham, of Bensalem.
According to police, Nottingham stole the vehicle. He reportedly asked the owner for the keys to retrieve cigarettes from the vehicle. When Nottingham did not return, the owner contacted state police to report it stolen.
Bensalem police informed the state police of Nottingham's actions.
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Mr. and Mrs. Santiago did not expect their night to be anything more than quiet and peaceful, but when Nottingham crashed into their backyard, they soon found themselves in a wet world of woe.
According to Orlando Santiago, the incident happened approximately 1:30-2 a.m. on Wednesday morning at his home in the 1900 block of Washington Lane, directly behind the Valley Athletic Association ballpark.
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Nottingham skidded as he made the sharp turn and collided with a traffic sign, then proceeded to crash through the gate and into the pool, Orlando said. He believes the driver was under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicants.
"He smelled like he was smoking [marijuana]," Santiago said.
Nottingham's intoxication was confirmed by a police report.
Following the crash, Nottingham went up to the front door and apologized, at which point Santiago called the police. Three squad cars arrived along with a tow-truck.
As the tow-truck was attempting to remove the vehicle from the yard, the pool completely collapsed, sending gallons of water into the Santiago's home and backyard.
Santiago believes Nottingham was uninsured stating that police didn't provide any insurance information to him.
"The guy also said that it wasn't even his car," Santiago said. "As far as we know, he had no insurance."
Pieces of the white plastic fencing were scattered across the street as far as halfway down the block. The Santiagos were busy removing excess water and fence pieces from their backyard after the police and tow-truck left the scene.
