Police: DUII driver crashes into 'Don't Drink and Drive' truck in Salem

SALEM, Ore. — A man accused of drinking and driving crashed through a barrier and into a pickup truck emblazoned with a "Don't Drink and Drive" sign at a Salem auto body shop, according to police.

The story was first reported by the Statesman Journal.

Denis Lafferty, who owns Carzntrux Collision Repair in Southeast Salem, said 10 to 15 similar crashes have happened at the business over the past decade.

Lafferty said drivers come barreling down Pringle Road Southeast, which curves sharply right in front of his business. They don't anticipate the turn and fly into or sometimes over a makeshift barricade.

"It's just a very bad corner," Lafferty said. "This is the fourth time in the last two months."

On April 29, Lafferty said a silver SUV went flying onto the lot and the driver ran off.

"He went right over, took the roof off the (pickup) truck, nosedived into the Honda behind it and backflipped onto the Mercedes' hood," Lafferty explained, "and also landed on top of a Toyota Avalon that was there."

About a month later, Lafferty said a friend with a sign business wrote a message on the pickup truck reading "Don't drink and 'Drive," a message that over the weekend was apparently ignored.

"I got a call 4:30 Saturday morning," Lafferty said, "and police tell me that they've just arrested the guy for DUI and he's landed his truck in the back of my truck."

That guy is 46-year-old Eric Jones, and it wasn't his first drunken driving arrest. In 2014, he was convicted of DUII as well as fleeing a police officer, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.

"Good to get drivers like that off the road," Lafferty said, "before they kill someone."

But he also said the owner of the property wants the dangerous curve fixed.

"People are always missing this corner," Lafferty said. "The landlord has tried various means to stop them. He's put up these concrete blocks behind the fence. He built this landscaping here to stop it."

Lafferty said his landlord asked the city for more signs and for a barrier to be put up years ago.

A city spokesman told KATU Tuesday the public works department plans to talk with him again.

Lafferty hopes something changes soon.

"It could happen when I'm out here working outside," he said, "or if this one had happened in the day time and I happened to be getting in the truck to drive and suddenly there's a car taking a roof off the truck that would be kind of unpleasant."

Lafferty said he plans to keep the truck where it's parked for now.

He admitted to KATU he was charged with DUII 15 years ago but unlike the suspect in the most recent crash, Lafferty said he learned his lesson.