Where two trees once stood in the center divider on Second and F Street in Eureka, now there is only one. A crew from the city was busy this morning chainsawing and removing one of our branched friends, after it had been brutally smashed into by a drunk driver over the weekend. 

Aguilar. Photo from Eureka Police Department

The driver, who has been identified as 30-year-old Jesse Aguilar, rolled over his car on Second Street just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. EPD told the Outpost that Aguilar struck the center divider and possibly another vehicle before rolling his own vehicle.

Aguilar was arrested on scene for a DUI.

Apparently, Aguilar also struck one of the trees planted in the center divider on Second Street.

Eureka Community Services Director Miles Slattery told the Outpost today that the tree suffered enough damage that the city needed to cut it down. Slattery said there were pieces of the vehicle stuck in the tree. 

“It [the tree] was not healthy. It was a liability,” Slattery said. “So we had to remove it.”

Slattery said that the city does eventually plan to plant another tree in its place, after sorting out the insurance with the driver. The city hopes that the driver’s insurance will be able to cover all the costs incurred by this incident.