By LISA BICKNELL
CV&T News Editor
Photo by Lisa Bicknell
A section of the front wall at the Dollar General store beside Advance Auto is still boarded up after last week’s crash.
Employees of the Dollar General store at 917 Richmond Rd. got quite a shock last Wednesday night when a vehicle plowed through the front wall of the store, breaking the glass and narrowly missing an employee.
Sheriff’s deputy Russell “Doc” Morris was dispatched to the store after the incident.
When Morris arrived on the scene, he found John W. Tipton, 39, of 190 Tuggle Branch, Ravenna, was the operator of the vehicle. Witnesses on the scene stated that Tipton pulled up and bumped the sidewalk in front of the store, then he backed up, and pulled forward, running through the front of the store.
A store employee was working in the front of the store and was knocked to the floor. She was transported to Marcum and Wallace Memorial hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Tipton was also transported to the hospital. According to the police report, he had blood shot eyes, slurred speech and said that he had taken his pain medicine. He failed field sobriety tests. Morris stated that he did not ask Tipton to do some of the usual field sobriety tests because Tipton appeared to be very intoxicated. Tipton refused a blood test, and one of the store managers told police that the store had several thousand dollars worth of damage.
Tipton was charged with failure of a non-owner operator to maintain required insurance, first offense; driving on a DUI suspended license, first offense; operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, second offense; and first degree criminal mischief. His bond was set at $5,000.