Crime & Safety
Man Crashes His Van Into A Car, Says 'I Might As Well Finish My Beer!'
A 46-year-old man landed in hot water with law enforcement for allegedly driving drunk, and crashing his van into a car. But then he reached into his van, grabs a beer and keeps drinking.
A man, who was caught speeding in front of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy, crashed his van into a car, got out of his van, said he might as well finish off his beer and chugged down his beverage.
The 46-year-old man was driving a purple 1999 Dodge Caravan at 6:09 p.m. Thursday in the 4100 block of Douglas Ave. He was arrested under suspicion of drunk driving, according to a report by the Caledonia Police Department. Charges have not formally been issued.
Donald Kehring, who was driving a Chevy Impala southbound on Douglas, told police he was in the left lane when he saw the van approaching him in his rearview mirror. Signaling that he was going into the right lane, the van also went into the right lane and struck the passenger side of his car. Two children and his girlfriend, Kari Hohnl, were in Kehring’s car, but they were not injured and were picked up by a relative and taken to a concert at St. Rita’s School. The car sustained minor damage, according to the report.
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The off duty sheriff’s deputy told officers with the Caledonia Police Department that the van passed him going 70 to 80 mph in a 35 mph zone, and was weaving in and out of traffic. Seeing the crash, the deputy stopped to help.
Just after the crash happened, the man got out of the van and took an open bottle of beer from inside the van and “chugged the rest of it, stating, ‘(expletive) it, I might as well finish this off,” according to the police report.
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An on duty Racine Police officer assisted in the call. When Caledonia Police arrived, the on-duty officer and off-duty deputy had the man pinned up against the van.
Highly intoxicated and stumbling, the man's pants fell down as they were patting him down for weapons. While in the police car, man yelled “Obama” over and over again, and kept asking for his attorney.
Caledonia Police found an empty bottle of beer and a red Solo cup with alcohol in it.
Police took the man to the hospital for a blood draw and took him to the Racine County Jail.
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