UPDATE: Carmel resident charged with DUI in fire hydrant crash, police say

UPDATE 4/16/15 6:45 p.m.:
Several businesses in Carmel are still surveying the damage after they were flooded early Thursday morning. A driver hit a hydrant at the shopping center off Carmel Valley Road, sending water into their medical offices. They say they’ve seen flooding in their courtyard before, but nothing like this.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year-old Rebecca Graves crashed into the hydrant, sending hundreds of gallons of water into the businesses. The water came flooding down from upstairs, gushing into the courtyard. The water level was as high as six inches tall.

Carmel Hearing Aid is one of the businesses affected. The owner estimates $100,000 in damage.

“Sound booths,” Ganesh Kirapapuri said, “Hearing aid testing facilities. We have three servers, four computers, all have been damaged.”

However he credits firefighters with their quick response.

“We had five fire with a battalion chief along with law enforcement,” Cal Fire Capt. Garrett Veyna said. “And they worked for four hours to try and salvage any of the materials inside the businesses that they could.”

Unfortunately, Kirapapuri and others here will have to temporarily relocate so they property owner can repair the water damage.

“Everything out,” Jody Roye of Source Healing Arts said. “Tear the sheet rock out of the baseboards and refurbish everything so we are all being asked to leave.”

Some of the medical tenants are concerned they won’t be able to see their patients.
“Hopefully they will not put off an appointment that needs to happen,” Dr. Karen Kiker of Carmel Podiatry said.

The property owner has offered the businesses another location to set up shop, but the rent is higher. Some of them are considering opening together in the interim.

“A temporary fix,” Dr. Kiker said. “Just so that I will have patients to see. I see diabetics and people who have ulcers and infections and they definitely need to be seen promptly.”

So they can be there for their patients, they’re hoping they can reopen their doors as soon as possible.

UPDATE 4/16/2015 3:31 p.m.: A Carmel resident is facing DUI charges for allegedly crashing into a fire hydrant in Carmel Wednesday night.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said deputies got a call about water shooting up into the sky at 11:30pm Wednesday night near Carmel Valley Road and Carmel Rancho Boulevard.

Deputies said they located a car next to the water spout coming from a fire hydrant.

California Highway Patrol said driver Rebecca Graves, 20, of Carmel, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Deputies said Graves was taken to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula with non-life threatening injuries.

CHP is investigating to see if there was a passenger who left the scene.

PREVIOUS STORY: At least one Carmel business was flooded Wednesday night after California Highway Patrol says a car hit a fire hydrant nearby.

It happened off Highway 1 and Carmel Valley Road just before midnight.

The hydrant spewed water into the runway then into a nearby business center.

Crews worked overnight to try to clean up the mess.

So far, there is no word on the extent of the damage.