Finn Hill resident Brian Pattillo threw a party Sunday afternoon and invited friends and family. But it was his 78-year-old drunk neighbor that crashed the party in a big way.
The guests had just arrived and were getting acquainted when a car slammed through the corner of Pattillo’s home in the 1300 block of 91st Place N.E. in Kirkland’s Finn Hill neighborhood at about 4 p.m.
“It is just by chance we didn’t have people in the front yard,” said Pattillo. “We are finding a lot of humor in it.”
And while having humor about the situation is better than anger, there was nothing humorous about the extent of the accident and what led up to it.
Pattillo’s elderly and drunk neighbor allegedly got into his car to go gambling and fell asleep with the car running. At some point the car went into gear with his foot on the gas pedal.
The car went over the curb and hit a street sign, which sent the car back across the street towards Pattillo’s home, according to the King County Sherrif’s Department. The car then drove across Pattillo’s yard, hitting the corner of his home and striking his car.
Still in gear, the car kept going across another neighbor’s lawn, through garbage cans, striking a truck and finally hitting a tree before coming to a rest.
“I just could not believe it,” said Pattillo. “He should not be driving. His son told me his vision is bad, too.”
Pattillo said that he had seen the man driving erratically before and meant to call the Sherrif’s office.
“It is a case of should have could have,” said Pattillo. “I am just glad no one was hurt. He took out the corner of the house but we can get that fixed.”
Police arrested the man for DUI and he was transported to the hospital for precautionary reasons. After being processed for the crime the man was released into the care of his wife, according to John Urquhart, King County Sherrif’s spokesperson.