Union Tribune News reports:
A suspected drunken driver was arrested in the College Area early Tuesday after he veered off the road and crashed into at least two buildings and some cars, leaving behind a swath of destruction.
The driver was heading east on El Cajon Boulevard near 58th Street when he lost control of the Budget Rental truck shortly after midnight, San Diego police said. He sideswiped at least one car before hitting a parked, white Mitsubishi Montero, which smashed its back window, flattened a tire and tore off a left taillight.
The truck then careened onto the sidewalk and knocked over a tall palm tree and a concrete pylon before smashing into the front of The Greek Corner Restaurant, where it broke a front window and ripped off a portion of the front of the building as well part of its roof.
The truck continued to travel and ran over more trees, a newspaper rack and a pay phone before it slammed into the front of theProgress Management building, shattering two large plate-glass windows and breaking off parts of the wall and portions of the front shingled roof. Deep tires marks were left in the grass in front of the office, where other trees, bushes and plants were ripped up and strewn about.
Hanna Allen, 23, who was on her way to work and lives nearby, stopped to survey the damage. “It looks like a tornado came through here,” she said.
The truck came to a stop after smashing into a metal fence just past the office building and just feet from a row of gas meters. “They would’ve blown,” said Scott Morrissey, 53, who lives in an apartment behind where the crash occurred. Morrissey said he was just falling asleep when his stepson came in and said he heard a big bang. “I came out here and all this was demolished,” he said as he pointed at the wreckage strewn about that included car parts, drywall, glass, smashed signs and twisted metal.
The driver of the truck ran after the crash but was caught and taken into custody, police said. His name was not released. A passenger in the truck was detained and released, police said. No one was injured. Investigators have not released a damage estimate.