Man charged with DUI after smashing through retaining wall

ST. GEORGE – A Santa Clara man was arrested for driving under the influence and interfering with arrest Saturday night after he left the roadway and crashed through a street sign before smashing his vehicle through a block retaining wall and coming to a rest.

Brian Celton Gates' booking photo posted Nov. 29, 2014 | Image courtesy of Washington County Sheriff's Office, St. George News — Brian Celton Gates’ booking photo posted Nov. 29, 2014 | Image courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

At approximately 10:35 p.m., Brian Celton Gates and a woman passenger were traveling westbound on Stonebridge Drive near the Clinton Way intersection, St. George Police Sgt. Spencer Holmes said.

“There was some sort of distraction inside the vehicle,” Holmes said. “At some point, the driver left the lane of travel and collided with that cement wall.”

Holmes said Gates estimated that he was going 55 mph in a 25 mph zone.

The vehicle crashed through the northwest corner of the wall, airbags were deployed and the vehicle was totaled. However, no injuries were reported, Holmes said.

“It looks like he was pretty lucky to be alive,” he said.

Gates was investigated for DUI and subsequently failed field sobriety tests, Holmes said. He then got into an altercation with the officers at the scene and was charged with interfering with arrest in addition to other charges.

Gates was booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility and charged with two class B misdemeanors for driving under the influence and interfering with arrest; and two class C misdemeanors for improper lane travel and speeding. His bail is set at $2,590.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

St. George News Reporter Aspen Stoddard contributed to this report.

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