FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have arrested and charged a truck driver accused of crashing into a Fort Lauderdale gas station while under the influence.
The incident happened at the station along the 1300 block of Northeast Fourth Avenue, just after 1 p.m., Tuesday.
Surveillance video from inside the station showed a black Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck rolling through the station’s parking lot before crashing through the store’s windows.
Fort Lauderdale Police have identified the driver as Joseph Wayne Ligas. The 52-year-old faces charges of DUI, DUI with property damage and failure to use due care.
One person inside of the store suffered minor injuries, police said.
Syed Ali, the store’s owner, said he was on the premises when the crash occurred. He said the driver got out and appeared stunned.
“I ran from the back room up front, and I see this big truck just pull into gas station,” Ali said. “Yeah, he said, ‘Sorry for the interruption.'”
Police questioned Ligas and had him perform several field sobriety tests before taking him into custody.
The store was closed for some time on Tuesday but has since reopened. A hurricane shutter now covers the damage the truck caused to the store’s window.
“Yeah, it was quite loud, and it was like the continuous sound like listening to the — since he still had the car in the drive mode and the car was trying to push it in,” Ali said. “They push us back. We’re just gonna bounce back. We pretty much have everything under control. Hopefully, within the next hour, we will be able to open back up again.”
7News cameras captured the truck being towed away from the scene.
Ali said he has previous experience in this type of incident and mentioned that a vehicle had gone through his store window four years ago.
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