What started as a quiet Sunday night on West Lake Drive in Detroit Lakes turned into a construction-zone nightmare when, police say, a Phoenix man climbed into an excavator, fired it up and drove straight through an active work site. By the time the machine stopped, broken concrete was scattered across the area, a light pole was knocked flat, and storefronts were sporting fresh damage. Officers arrested 30-year-old Alex Prescott-Hansen, who is now facing a felony property-damage count and a misdemeanor DWI.
According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, a Becker County sheriff’s deputy told investigators the excavator appears to have been fired up near the Lakeside restaurant before it clipped and toppled a newly installed light pole, ripping up a stretch of concrete sidewalk in the process. The deputy reported the machine then slammed into the handrail and a sailboat sculpture outside Hub 41 and later banged into the awning at the Fairfield Inn & Suites.
Court records and local reporting say Prescott-Hansen blew a .18 on a breath test and admitted trying to drive the excavator during an interview with officers, according to KFGO. He was booked on a felony count of first-degree damage to property and a misdemeanor DWI, then posted $50,000 bond and was released without conditions, the outlet reports.
What investigators say
Investigators pegged the cost of repairs at HUB 41 alone at roughly $40,000 as crews documented torn exterior panels and a crushed sailboat sculpture while working through the scene, according to Lakes Area Radio. Police also said Prescott-Hansen told officers he had left a party at Zorbaz before the incident and that detectives are reviewing witness video and statements as part of the ongoing investigation.
Charges, bond and court date
Prescott-Hansen is charged in Becker County District Court with felony first-degree criminal damage to property and misdemeanor DWI and is scheduled to appear for a hearing on July 6, Twin Cities Pioneer Press reports. Prosecutors are expected to decide whether to bring any additional charges as more evidence is reviewed.
Downtown impact
West Lake Drive is a compact, high-foot-traffic stretch of lakeshore bars, restaurants and hotels, and any detours or closures there can quickly ripple through weekend business, local tourism materials note. Visit Detroit Lakes promotes the area’s cluster of eateries and public art along the water, which lean heavily on the busy summer season.
Authorities asked anyone with video or other information about the episode to contact the Becker County Sheriff’s Office as the case moves through the courts. Prescott-Hansen is expected to be arraigned in Becker County District Court on July 6, when bond, formal charges and the next steps in the case will be addressed.
