A 33-year-old Bristol man is dead after morning when a car jumped the curb, hit an electrical pole and smashed into the Farmington Country Club building in Farmington early Sunday morning, police said.
The fatal crash closed Route 10 and Route 4.
According to police, the crash happened around 3:30 a.m. when the car went approximately five feet off the ground at the corner of Route 4 (Farmington Avenue) and Route 10 (Waterville Road) and barreled into the wall of the country club at 806 Farmington Avenue.
First responders brought in Jaws of Life to rescue a female passenger who was heard calling for help. She was rushed to Hartford Hospital. Her condition is unknown, police said.
Authorities said the vehicle cut gas and water lines as it rocketed into the country club locker room. The locker room was flooded and the smell of gas was overwhelming. A gas company crew arrived to shut off the gas so first responders could rescue the passenger.
Part of the electrical pole became lodged in the side of the building, according to police.
"The utility guys who were called on scene said that that was potentially disastrous," Ruzsbatzky said. "So bad as this is, it could have been worse."
The driver, Thaddeus L. Singleton III, 33, of Bristol, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Court records show that Singleton had a history of motor vehicle violations, including reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.
Authorities said the lack of skid marks indicates that the driver most likely did not apply the brakes.
Golf course superintendent John Ruzsbatzky called the crash "unbelievable."
"I mean, the car traveled in excess of 100 feet, I would say, into the building, airborne," Ruzsbatzky said. "It had to be as the police say, over 100 miles an hour."
The intersection of Routes 10 and 4 remained closed during the investigation but reopened around 10:45 a.m.
Golfers were still being allowed into the club.
