A man was arrested in Gresham after his vehicle, a Toyota Prius, collided with an apartment building while he was allegedly under the influence and distracted by his mobile device. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Sept. 21, as per police reports.
When officers arrived at the Southwest 4th Street location near Birdsdale Drive, they discovered the vehicle had plunged into a bedroom of the apartment. At the time of the crash, seven occupants were present inside the dwelling, including one in the very room where the car breached the wall. Police noted that the driver, identified as Billy Holt, exhibited signs of impairment and confessed to having been drinking. Additionally, Holt shared with officers that he was trying to, unsuccessfully, eat chicken and watch ESPN on his cell phone right before the crash occurred, as detailed by KGW.
The disruption that Saturday morning led to Holt's arrest, as reported by the KOIN. He was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and seven counts of reckless endangerment, one for each person in the apartment during the time of the accident. According to KPTV, Holt has been released on his recognizance after the arrest.
In the aftermath, the Gresham Police Department issued a reminder, cautioning the public on the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. They urged drivers "to not drive impaired, don’t drive distracted, and put your phone down," highlighting the risks associated with such behavior. These incidents not only imperil the driver but everyone can potentially be put in harm's way, as the episode on Southwest 4th Street so violently illustrated.
