A driver was arrested and charged with driving nearly three times over the legal limit after crashing into his neighbor’s house, coming within just inches of striking an elderly woman inside, in Woodstock.
Keven J. Walton, 22, of Woodstock, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended license, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and illegal transportation of alcohol by a driver.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and Woodstock Police Department responded around 7:58 p.m. to the 2400 block of Applewood Lane in Woodstock for a report of a vehicle crash.
Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said crews were responding and informed that a vehicle possibly struck a home.
Firefighters arrived a short time later and confirmed a vehicle, driven by Walton, had driven into a residence on the corner of Aspen Drive and Applewood Lane, Vucha said.
The collision caused moderate damage to both the vehicle and the home. The car struck the corner of the house near the chimney.
The home was occupied by an elderly woman, who was seated within inches of the point of impact, Vucha said.
“Despite being so close to where the vehicle struck the home, she was not injured,” he said.
Walton refused medical attention at the scene. He was arrested by police officers following field sobriety testing.
An officer noted in a report that Walton was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.220, which is nearly three times the legal limit.
The report said Walton showed signs of slow and slurred speech along with bloodshot, glassy, watery eyes. He also showed swaying and balance issues while standing, the report said.
Walton had multiple indicators of impairment during standardized field sobriety testing, the report added.
The Woodstock Building and Planning Department was requested to evaluate the damage to the home.
Vucha said Nicor Gas was requested to the scene to mitigate a small natural gas leak caused by the crash.
Firefighters remained at the scene until nearly 10 p.m. assisting with minor cleanup and ensuring the resident had the information and resources needed.
The home remains habitable. Court records show Walton lives next door to the house that he hit, in the 2400 block of Aspen Drive.
Walton was released from custody on pre-trial release and given a notice to appear in court on April 9 for a plea hearing.
Court records show he has multiple other active cases for driving on a suspended license in McHenry County.