Car lot visitor puts pedal to much metal (blood-alcohol level of .194 got 20 cars)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20101122/NEWS97/711229942#car-lot-visitor-puts-pedal-to-much-metal

By Kevin Cole
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Friday proved to be a record-setting day for a South Omaha car dealer — but not the kind he ever wants to see repeated.

“In a blink of an eye, we lost about one-third of our inventory,” Larry Eckley of Eckley Auto Brokers said Sunday. “That’s some kind of terrible record.”

Eckley said more than 20 vehicles on his lot at 3902 S. 42nd St. were damaged when someone got in one of the dealership’s cars and began banging into a row of parked cars. Eckley estimated the damage to the vehicles at $30,000 to $35,000.

Police have arrested Justin M. Barr, 27, of Omaha on suspicion of drunken driving, unauthorized use of a vehicle, 21 counts of property damage and 21 counts of leaving the scene of an accident.

“It’s a very bizarre scene,” Eckley said. “It looks like he just started playing pinball with the cars on our lot. Police said 21 cars were damaged, but they missed a couple.”

Barr was being held Sunday in the Douglas County Jail and was not available for comment.

FULL story at link.