Courtesy of the Fairfield Police Department
A 46-year-old Fairfield, Connecticut, man plowed through a residential garage, crushed two cars and damaged four properties after allegedly snorting three “bumps of cocaine” on his first day with a new snow removal company, according to an arrest warrant obtained by CT Insider.
The driver, identified in the warrant as Mark Keene, now faces charges including driving under the influence and operating under the influence. He was released after posting a $15,000 bond, the CT Post reported. No injuries were reported.
How the Crash Unfolded on Tahmore Drive
The incident occurred in December 2025 on Tahmore Drive, a residential street in Fairfield. According to police and the arrest warrant, Keene lost control of the commercial snowplow while clearing snow and struck a Subaru Impreza parked in a driveway. The force of the impact pushed the Impreza into the home’s garage, where it collided with a Toyota RAV4 parked inside, ABC7 reported.
The collision crumpled the garage structure, damaged the front porch and left both vehicles wedged together. The plow did not stop at one property. Police say Keene’s path of destruction crossed four yards before the truck finally came to rest, according to News 12.
Photos published after the crash show the garage opening boarded up with plywood while the family waits on repairs. No one inside the home was hurt, but the household was left without a functional garage and with two badly damaged vehicles.
Driver Allegedly Admitted to Using Cocaine Before His Shift
What elevated the crash from a property damage case to a criminal investigation was what Keene allegedly told police afterward. According to the arrest warrant, Keene admitted to snorting three “bumps of cocaine” shortly before starting his shift, the New York Post reported.
Officers at the scene observed signs of impairment and took Keene into custody following field evaluations. People magazine noted that the alleged drug use occurred on what was described as Keene’s very first day working for the plow company. The company has not been publicly identified, and it is unclear whether it has issued any statement.
Fairfield police have not disclosed whether a toxicology test was administered in addition to the field evaluation, though the warrant relies in part on Keene’s own statements to investigators.
Charges and What Comes Next
Keene faces charges of driving under the influence and operating under the influence, according to Fairfield police. After his arrest, he posted a $15,000 bond and was released. A specific court date has not been publicly announced as of March 2026.
Local television stations covered the aftermath extensively. One Connecticut broadcast walked through the damage to the garage and vehicles, while a separate news segment traced the plow’s path across multiple properties, showing the scale of the destruction.
For the family on Tahmore Drive, the legal process is only one piece of the fallout. They still face insurance claims, structural repairs and the replacement or repair of two vehicles. Connecticut law allows property owners to pursue civil damages in cases like this, separate from any criminal penalties Keene may face.
A Shaken Sense of Trust During Storm Season
Snowplow operators work long, grueling hours during Connecticut winters, and most do so without incident. But the Tahmore Drive crash has rattled residents who now wonder what screening, if any, plow companies conduct before handing drivers the keys to heavy commercial equipment.
Connecticut does not require a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for all snowplow operations, though requirements vary depending on the vehicle’s weight class and whether the driver is working for a municipality or a private contractor. The distinction matters: municipal drivers typically undergo drug testing and background checks, while private contractors may not face the same oversight.
For Tahmore Drive neighbors, the questions are more immediate. They watched a plow barrel through a garage, across four properties, and into a pile of wreckage on what should have been an ordinary snow day. The answers will have to come from a courtroom.
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