Jim’s Manager, Ronald Tipton said he got the call with the bad news around 7:30 a.m., but kept a positive attitude throughout the cleanup on Monday.
“We might not have an office to work in, but we’ll be able to change some tires and get some customers in and out pretty quickly,” Tipton said.
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According to a crash report, 52-year-old Scott Lucas, of Springfield was driving north on North Belmont Avenue and speeding around 1 a.m. Monday.
The report says Lucas lost control of his pickup truck when he drove over a set of railroad tracks. His truck then turned counterclockwise and went left of center. The truck hit a curb, a utility pole and the front of Jim’s before coming to a stop a short distance away.
Springfield Police officers found Lucas walking near the intersection of East Home Road and Old Home Road. An arrest report says Lucas was unsteady on his feet and slurring his words. Officers could also smell alcohol on him, according to the report.
Around the same time, officers were dispatched to a report of a vehicle into a building. Lucas told officers he drove a red Ford-250, which was the same truck found near the crash site.
Lucas was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center and released later Monday morning. He now faces charges of failure to control, failure to stop after an accident and OVI.
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Lucas is expected to be arraigned in Clark County Municipal Court on Tuesday morning. Court documents say Lucas only has one prior OVI, which was in 1989.
“To get up and walk away, he better thank God above him, that’s for sure,” Tipton said.
Lucas’ truck sustained significant front end damage. It was still at the scene of the accident on Monday.
No one was inside the business when the crash happened.
The business’ owner operates two other auto service locations in Springfield — Jim’s Tire City on Selma Road and Jim’s Tire & Auto on West North Street.
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