A single vehicle accident into a sideyard fence resulted in the arrest of the driver for DUI, but also revealed a backyard marijuana grow on Eucalyptus Avenue.

Oakdale Police reported that at 7:14 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, they received calls of a SUV that had crashed on the 600 block of Eucalyptus Avenue, taking out several feet of fence.

Officers arrived and noticed a white Chevrolet Trailblazer at rest on the south fenceline of the property. The driver, identified as Mark Blackhart, 29, of Oakdale was with the vehicle.

Officer Don Stillwell arrived and observed Blackhart displaying symptoms of being impaired. Further investigation, along with field sobriety tests, resulted in Blackhart being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

“It appears the kid was out partying all night, blew the stop sign and hit the fence,” said Oakdale Police Sergeant Ben Savage, who also responded to the scene.

According to Sgt. Savage, Blackhart had a blood alcohol content of .20. The legal limit for drivers in California is .08.

The investigation showed Blackhart was eastbound on Kimball Avenue and failed to stop for the stop sign at Eucalyptus Avenue, crashing into the residence fence, narrowly missing a fire hydrant and telephone pole.

Police stated about 15 feet of fence was damaged by the collision.

With the sideyard fence down, several marijuana plants could be seen growing in the backyard of the Eucalyptus Avenue residence.

“It’s not part of this investigation,” Savage said.

Savage declined to comment on the marijuana plants, their quantity, or if it was now part of an additional, separate investigation. 

Blackhart was booked for driving under the influence of alcohol and later released on a citation to appear in court.