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Lucerne man arrested for crashing into Lakeport business
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police have arrested a Lucerne man who is alleged to have crashed into a Lakeport business early Sunday morning.
Christopher Don Coffer, 25, was arrested a short after he allegedly hit the building housing Hillside Honda, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said that Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to Hillside Honda, located at 460 S. Main St., at approximately 5:56 a.m. Sunday to investigate a report of a vehicle having just crashed into the building.
He said dispatch advised responding officers that witnesses reported the driver and two passengers were fleeing the scene on foot.
However, the driver returned and began efforts to pull his vehicle free from the wreckage. He rammed the building before finally pulling free and fleeing north on S. Main Street at a high rate of speed, Rasmussen said.
Officers arrived on scene and immediately began looking for the vehicle but did not initially locate it, according to Rasmussen.
He said officers interviewed four witnesses in the area and learned that just prior to the collision the suspect vehicle, a 2013 Toyota Scion, ran a stop sign from westbound Esplanade Street onto southbound S. Main Street and nearly collided with a motorist heading southbound on S. Main Street.
The Scion continued across S. Main Street, hitting the west curb and then traveling southeast across all lanes of S. Main Street before crashing into the west wall and window of the Hillside Honda store, Rasmussen said.
Officers continued to search the area for the Scion and driver, and located a trail of glass approximately 10 blocks north to Seventh Street, Rasmussen reported.
At approximately 6:57 a.m., witnesses advised police that the Scion was in the area of S. Main and Martin streets. Rasmussen said officers responded and located the Scion and the driver – who was identified as Coffer – at C and S. Main streets.
Through the witness statements and physical evidence located at the crash scene and on the Scion, Rasmussen said officers determined that Coffer was the driver of the vehicle both before and after the crash.
Coffer was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and for hit and run causing property damage. Rasmussen said no injuries were reported.
Rasmussen and his department thanked the numerous witnesses who provided detailed information to assist them with identifying and arresting Coffer.