Skip to main content

Police investigating alleged drunken driver who smacked light pole in parking lot

By Howard B. Owens

Police responded at 6:45 a.m. to a report of an erratic driver in the Valu Plaza parking lot after a car slammed into a light pole, according to witnesses, and then the driver tried to continue operating the vehicle.

Witnesses told police once the car wouldn't go any further, the occupants jumped out and ran. One of them threw items onto the roof above Great Kutz, according to police.

A work crew was on scene and provided a ladder for a Sheriff's deputy to get on the roof and reportedly recover beer bottles.

According to a police, the car had pulled into McDonald's and an employee allegedly observed open beer bottles in the car. The driver, according to police, then pulled into the parking lot, the occupants ate their meals and disposed of trash in the parking lot. The car then allegedly sped toward the light pole at about 90 mph.

The occupants were quickly taken into custody and the driver is reportedly facing a DWI charge.

No injuries were reported as a result of the crash.

Dave Olsen

Not to be picky, Howard, but 90 mph? I don't know that a stock Ford Taurus can get to 90 in the Valu parking lot, unless it's hopped up somehow, and hitting a pole at that speed would do a lot more damage and cause injuries, necessarily.

Jul 9, 2012, 8:45am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Not denying the Taurus is capable of 90, just takes a bit more than the width of the Valu parking lot to get it there. I'm quite sure this is an exaggeration.

Jul 9, 2012, 12:09pm Permalink
joseph bradt

Thats a 2001 or 2002 Taurus SES... 24 Valve with Dual Overhead Cams. I had one. Might be able to get 60 out of it from one end of the lot to the other. I know this location very well, and the car is near a lightpole in the MIDDLE of the lot. My guess would be 45mph - MAX.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:43pm Permalink

Authentically Local