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A Sioux Falls home has extensive damage after police say a suspected drunk driver slammed into a garage overnight Tuesday.
It all started around midnight with the report of a reckless driver in the area of 10th Street and Interstate 229. Officers found the vehicle but called off a pursuit when the driver sped away and at times could have collided with oncoming traffic. Officers again caught up with the truck near 18th Street and Tabbert Circle where it had crashed.
Police say 49-year-old Todd Tronson was behind the wheel of the truck. The impact happened just moments after the pursuing officer turned off his lights and siren as he reported Tronson topping 60 miles an hour while driving down the middle of the road.
"The reason they shut the lights and the siren off is, the hope is, whoever is running from police will reduce their speed, as well so we won't have someone continue at a high rate of speed and the chance of someone else getting hurt," Officer Sam Clemens of Sioux Falls Police said.
Officers report Tronson was found stuck in his truck that had just slammed into the garage. The residents of the home aren't hurt and are hearing impaired, so it wasn't the crash that startled them.
"We were asleep and we woke up to the lights flashing and police came through the door and showed us what had happened. We were in shock," Sarah Diedrich said.
Sarah and Dale Diedrich had just moved into this home in October.
"We are thankful that nobody in the house was hurt we aren't hurt at all. We are just very thankful that it isn't any worse than it is," Sarah said.
Police say Tronson's breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.145.
The garage and parked vehicles have an estimated $12,000 in damage.
"The speed limit is 25 in that area. I think it is pretty safe to say he was going well over that speed limit to cause that amount of damage to those vehicles and the home," Clemens said.
In addition to DWI, Tronson was also arrested for aggravated eluding of police, reckless driving and no proof of insurance.
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