BRANDON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ) -- A man is facing a number of charges after crashing his truck into a gas station in Oakland County, moments after he allegedly cracked a beer and tried to peel out in the parking lot.
The incident happened at the BP gas station in the 1700 block of Ortonville Road around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Deputies with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene and discovered major damage to the front doors and interior of the building, with the truck fully inside.
An employee of the gas station identified the man as William David Edmonds, a regular customer at the store. Edmonds, 24, purchased beer, opened one and got into his truck, which was parked near the gas pumps, according to police. Edmonds then accelerated at a high rate of speed and did a donut, 180 degrees, striking the gas pump island. He then took off towards the building and smashed through the front doors and came to a stop in the middle of the store.
The crash was captured on video. So too was Edmonds ripping the license plate off his truck and leaving the scene with papers from inside the truck in his hands. Authorities say amid the wreckage, bottles of broken alcohol had seeped into an outlet in the floor and caused an electrical fire. The Brandon Township Fire Department was called to the scene.
Edmonds was arrested 13 hours after the incident at his home in Groveland Township after mutltiple checks by police at his home.
In an interview with police, Edmonds admitted to drinking beer at the gas station, though it was not clear if he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. He said he wanted to speed around the gas pumps "because his new tires spin easily," according to police. He said as he sped around the pumps, he hit the curb, lost control and crashed through the store, saying he got scared and removed his plate and fled. He told police he had no intentions of running into the building or hurting anyone.
He was arraigned Friday and charged with reckless driving and failure to report an accident. He was issued a $5,000 personal bond, not to return to the store, and to test twice weekly for alcohol and drugs.