Alleged drunk driver smashes up cable car

At the end of a long day hauling summertime tourists to and from Fisherman’s Wharf, a Powell Street cable car got banged up by an alleged drunk driver Wednesday night, bringing the iconic cable car to a screeching halt.

Police said Jeffrey Webber, 61, of Suisun City crashed head-on into a cable car in his blue Ford Explorer at about 10 p.m. Wednesday at Geary and Powell streets.

Onlookers detained Webber until police arrived, Officer Albie Esparza told the Ex. Webber was then booked on felony DUI charges.

Both the cable car and Webber’s Explorer were reportedly traveling at low speeds. The cable car operator was hospitalized with a minor shoulder injury. None of the 15 passengers on the car were injured.

The cable car escaped relatively unharmed, with some broken glass and a dinged bumper as the extent of the damage. Service on the Powell Street cable car lines was shut down for about an hour.

28 historic cable cars, many rebuilt in the 1990s, operate on the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines in San Francisco. Another 12 carry riders along California Street from Van Ness to Market.