Man crashes into Ogden Taco Bell drive-thru window

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OGDEN, Utah — Around 6:47 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Weber County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a call from a Taco Bell employee of a vehicle that crashed into the building, located at 1670 W 12th St, Ogden, Utah.

In a probable cause statement from deputy Ashton Olsen, he said 53-year-old Troy Penman solely occupied the car at the time of the crash. Several people were inside the building and no injuries were reported. 

According to witnesses, Penman parked in the back of the Taco Bell parking lot all night until he slowly began driving forward. Then, the vehicle stopped at a parking lot island curb before the driver slammed on the gas and crashed into the drive-thru window. 

Upon Olsen approaching the vehicle, he detected an alcoholic smell on Penmans’ breath. Penman told the deputy he took two shots of vodka four hours before the incident. He agreed to participate in Field Sobriety Testing. 

Throughout the horizontal gaze nystagmus testing, Penman couldn’t follow instructions. Then, Olsen conducted the nine-step walk and turn test during which Penman exhibited four out of eight clues possibly indicating intoxication. During the finger-to-nose test, he exhibited several clues. 

Olsen said in the statement, the driver refused to participate in the one-leg stand. Also, he did not partake in the lack of convergence test due to being unable to follow instructions. 

Deputy Olsen is certified in Advance Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and concluded that Penman was intoxicated at the time of the incident. 

Penman is also a respondent to a restraining order. In the protective order, the vehicle he drove is listed as a protected area that he is required to stay away from. 

Olsen drove Penman to Ogden Regional Hospital where his blood was drawn by a phlebotomist and he was cleared for incarceration. Penman was booked into jail on charges of reckless driving, violation of protective order, and driving under the influence. 

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