A driver was drunk and fleeing police when he crashed into a popular Red Wing, Minn., restaurant Wednesday night, causing part of the historic building to collapse, according to charges.
Donovan Plank, 28, of Red Wing, was charged with drunken driving, reckless driving, trespassing and failure to obey traffic control devices, according a criminal complaint filed in Goodhue County District Court.
A woman called Red Wing police about 9:45 p.m. to report that Plank, the father of her children, had shown up at her residence drunk, disconnected her electricity and was refusing to leave. As officers responded, Plank sped off in a red SUV, the charges said.
Police spotted Plank driving at 60 to 70 mph and blowing through a stop sign at 7th and Plum streets. An officer attempted to stop the vehicle, which continued through another stop sign and nearly hit another driver before plowing into Liberty's Restaurant and Lounge, the charges said.
The officer saw Plank crawling out of his SUV and arrested him at the scene. The officer told Plank the building was heavily damaged, to which Plank responded, "That's not good," the charges read.
The officer smelled alcohol and noticed Plank displayed "general drunk-like behavior." Plank later admitted that he had been at the woman's residence and had had an unknown number of beers and mixed drinks, the charges stated.
A blood sample was sent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis, the charges said.
No one inside Liberty's was hurt. Four people who lived in apartments above the restaurant were home at the time of the crash. They were not hurt and were evacuated, said the restaurant's owner, Doug Noreen.
