A Brazilian illegal immigrant is accused of causing a power outage after he struck a pedestrian and then crashed into a utility pole

Kristen Senz:

Willian Jose De Sousa, 27, who was living on Main Street in West Lebanon, has been jailed after striking a man who was walking in the parking lot at Sandri Stop Smart Sunoco on South Main Street in West Lebanon around 1 a.m. on May 22, police said. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries.

De Sousa, whose blood-alcohol level was "clearly over" .16 percent, or twice the legal limit, sped away from the accident but was spotted by officers who responded to the call, Police Chief Jim Alexander said.

By the time police caught up to De Sousa, his vehicle had slammed into a telephone pole on South Main Street, breaking it in half. De Sousa was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Electrical power went out across most of the village of West Lebanon until around 7 a.m., Alexander said. Police shut down South Main Street from 1:15 a.m. until about 9:45 a.m.

De Sousa was later released to police, who determined he was an undocumented immigrant. He was arraigned in Lebanon District Court late last week on charges of felony-level reckless conduct, conduct after an accident, aggravated driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. He was taken to the Grafton County House of Correction in North Haverhill for lack of $5,000 cash bail.

If De Sousa makes bail, Immigration and Customs Enforcement could initiate deportation proceedings. Alexander said he'd rather see De Sousa face the Lebanon charges first.

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