Driver Charged with DUI After Nearly Crashing into House, Police Say

A man is facing DUI charges after he allegedly came close to striking two homes on the 500 block of Green Street during the morning of July 12.

Police responded to the area shortly after 9:30 a.m. for a report of a vehicle accident where a driver reportedly drove onto the sidewalk and struck a home. Once on scene, police discovered that no homes had been struck, but a vehicle had struck two sets of concrete steps, a tree, and a parked vehicle, according to the report.

The driver of the striking vehicle – identified as Andrew Shemar – reportedly told police that his accelerator became stuck while he was attempting to back into a parking space. The report indicates Shemar had a glazed look and had trouble focusing on questions relating to the accident, at which point police asked if he had been drinking. Shemar responded that he had not been drinking, but he had taken Klonopin and Prozac – psychiatric medications for anxiety and depression, respectively – prior to the crash, police said.

Shemar was then arrested on suspicion of DUI, and taken to the Mercy Suburban emergency room for blood testing. Police are still awaiting the results of that test, according to the report.