Drunken driver crashes into Arlington home

A female homeowner in Arlington had a close call Monday night, when an accused drunken driver plowed into her living room.

Arlington Police Department spokesman Christopher Cook said he arrived with officers at the home in the 2700 block of Quail Creek Drive around 8:20 p.m., and took the woman's statement.

"She was sitting in her house and heard a loud crash," said Cook. "She noticed there was a young man who appeared to be under the influence, or impaired, by her estimation."

Neither the woman nor the driver, identified as 30-year-old Dustin Peters, suffered any injuries in the crash. But, the woman explained a bizarre exchange between herself and Peters.

"It was told to us that he was incoherent. She was yelling at him like, 'What in the world is going on?' " said Cook. "But he just seemed kind of out it, which is typical when someone is impaired."

Cook said that after being in the woman's home for a few minutes, Peters ran from the home and hid in nearby bushes. Cook said Arlington Fire officials and EMS were dispatched to the scene, while officers searched the surrounding area for Peters for 15 to 20 minutes.

When officers found Peters, he told police that he had left his girlfriend's house just before the crash.

"Somehow he lost control when he made that turn onto the street," Cook said. "And then left the roadway and went into her front yard and then went into the front of her home."

Peters was arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence and was in the Arlington jail on a $1,000 bond Thursday.

Cook said he could also face additional action in civil court if the homeowner or insurance company sues for damages to the home. He added that aside from the holiday season, the Arlington police respond to at least a half dozen car crash incidents a year in which a driver runs into a home.

"A lot of times where you have a vehicle versus a house or a structure a lot of times it's on a curve," Cook said. "Where you have a little speed going up and drivers can't negotiate that turn.

"In this particular case, we have no idea how he lost control. This house was on the end of the street so you wouldn't have a lot of time to get a lot of speed built up."

With the holiday season fast-approaching, he said, this incident is a reminder that citizens should not drink and drive.

"Make sure you have a plan," Cook said. "Use Uber, Lyft or a taxi. But at the end of the day, these type of offenses are preventable."

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Drunken driver crashes into Arlington home."