Local Ohio TV meteorologist Hollie Strano is charged with drunk driving after ‘speeding and crashing her SUV into a fire hydrant while three times the legal limit’

A meteorologist from a local TV station in Ohio has been arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after crashing her SUV on Thanksgiving.

Hollie Strano was arrested last Thursday on Akron-Peninsula Road in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, when she crashed her car into a utility pole while police were pursuing her vehicle.

WKCY reported that Cuyahoga Falls police were notified of a possible drunk driver around 7:30 p.m.

Police soon found Strano behind the wheel of an SUV and began following him.

She allegedly reached a speed of 75 mph in a 56 mph zone as she drove toward the Akron border.

A dashcam video released by the department shows dramatic footage of an officer beginning to chase her speeding vehicle before it crashes.

The footage shows the SUV hovering over the center line before swerving in the opposite direction. He eventually drives off the side of the road and hits a utility pole that comes down in the middle of the road.

The dashcam records a large light explosion, followed by a wave of sparks coming from the utility pole. The officer must swerve to avoid coming into contact with the debris that is now blocking his lane.

It is not clear whether Strano’s car remains upright during the entire crash, but the video clearly shows the vehicle spinning and crashing into various parts of the landscape before coming to a stop after descending a small slope.

Strano’s exact condition after the crash is unknown, but it appears police were able to test her blood alcohol level, which came in at 0.244 percent – ​​more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The meteorologist refused medical attention and was transferred to a third party.

She will be arraigned on Thursday.

The general manager of WKYC Studios, where Strano works, said in a statement to his own reporters following the story: “This is a personnel matter and we are not going to comment on it at this time.”

Strano reportedly did not return to the air after the crash. She recently celebrated her 20th anniversary at Channel 3.

Strano recently celebrated his 20th anniversary at WKYC Channel 3 – a local station in Cleveland, Ohio

She is originally from the Cleveland, Ohio area and seems to have deep roots in the community

The Towpath Tennis Center posted photos of the damage caused by the accident to the road in front of their business

Heavy machinery, some from the city of Akron, arrived Friday morning to help clear the center’s parking lot of mud and water before an annual tournament began

The center sincerely thanked the city for its help, and the children and parents who waited patiently as the tournament lagged behind

Police dashcam video showed a utility pole exploding in a wave of sparks, much like what it felt after Strano’s car collided with it

The crash occurred in front of the Towpath Tennis Center, whose parking lot was flooded by water from the fire hydrant that hit Strano.

On Friday, the tennis center wrote on its Facebook page: “Today we are hosting our 43rd annual Thanksgiving Tennis Tournament. We are so grateful that water, strength and tennis matches are being played today

“Thank you to all our players and parents for your understanding and patience as we cleared up the mess. The city’s help today was such a blessing.”

The center posted several photos of the cleanup effort, which involved heavy machinery, and of the roadside damage caused by the car’s impact.

On Strano’s social media pages, which remain open and unlocked, she describes herself as a mental health advocate and generally projects sunny optimism intended to get her followers moving to conquer the day.

However, it appears that Strano has also opened up about her past struggles with anxiety.

In a 2019 interview on WKYC, Strano discussed with her colleagues the moment she knew she needed professional mental health care.