A Kewanee man was taken to jail Tuesday night after he crashed his car into a building on Edwards Street.
Neil Gardner, 48, was arrested near the residence in the 600 block of Edwards Street, where the accident occurred.
Police reported Wednesday that at 7:47 p.m. Tuesday officers responded to a report that a vehicle had been driven into a building and that the driver had entered or tried to enter a nearby home.
Officers discovered that a pickup truck had traveled through a yard and damaged a chain-link fence, crossed a concrete basketball court and crashed through an exterior wall of a detached outbuilding. The truck “continued through an interior wall, where it struck a pool table and bar, causing additional structural damage,” according to a news release from the police department.
“Initial information also indicated that the driver may have entered or attempted to enter a nearby residence,” the release said.
Officers located the driver, identified as 48-year-old Neil Gardner of Kewanee, near the residence.
“During their investigation, officers observed signs that Gardner was impaired,” the release said. Gardner was arrested and transported to the Henry County Jail.
On Wednesday the Henry County State’s Attorney’s office charged Gardner with driving under the influence of alcohol (Class A misdemeanor), reckless eriving (Class A misdemeanor), failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper traffic lane usage.
