NORTHAMPTON — Police said a man drove a Nissan Maxima into the brook at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area Sunday morning, apparently looking for a place to relieve himself.
Police said they were dispatched at 10:18 a.m. Sunday to the conservation area at 95 North Farms Road.
When the officer reached the stuck Nissan, he looked out at the woods and saw a man running. Officers arrested the driver, Melvin J. Arriaga, 28, of Chicopee.
Police said Arriaga told officers he was drinking margaritas with someone else at the St. Mary’s Cemetery on North Elm Street before leaving and searching for a restroom.
He saw the park sign, the police said, and rolled down the paved portion of the path assuming there was a restroom. He then rode into the brook.
Arriaga was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor and a subsequent violation of driving with a suspended license. Police said he may be extradited to Vermont on assault and battery charges.
Jack Suntrup can be reached at jsuntrup@gazettenet.com.