Man charged with third DUI after Frankford crash

A man is facing his third DUI charge, after troopers say he crashed into a pole with his son in the vehicle, in Frankford.

Delaware State Police say on Saturday, just before 5:00 PM, 53-year-old Rolando Gutierez, also known as Carlos Sandoval, was driving a Kia Sedona southbound on Pepper Road, just south of Lazy Lagoon Road, in Frankford. According to the report, Gutierez lost control of the vehicle in a moderate left curve and drove off the west side of the roadway where he hit a utility pole. Troopers say after the crash, Gutierez removed his 7-year-old son from the vehicle and walked away from the scene along Pepper Road, before being driven to his house by a passing driver.

A DUI investigation apparently began and the troopers encountered the 53-year-old at his home where he was taken into custody. According to the authorities,emergency medical personnel were called to the home to check of the 7-year-old boy, who was determined to not be properly restrained in the van. The child was then reportedly taken to Atlantic General Hospital, in Berlin, where he was treated for non-life -threatening injuries.

DSP reports that Gutierez was charged with third offense driving under the influence of alcohol, vehicular assault second degree, endangering the welfare of a child, failure to report a collision resulting in injury, and various other traffic related offenses. Gutierez's two previous DUI convictions were in April 2002 and July  2003. He was later turned over to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $5,503 secured bond.