(La Porte, IN) - Police say a man received more than a turkey on Thanksgiving after crashing into a brick planter in the downtown La Porte area.

 

Chauncey Crayton was given a trip to the La Porte County Jail for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Charges were later filed in La Porte Circuit Court.

 

According to court documents, the 43-year-old La Porte man struck the planter box at State and Clay streets just after 7:30 p.m. Officers arrived to find his heavily damaged 2017 Nissan sport utility vehicle in the middle of the road.    

 

The police stated that Crayton claimed he was heading to La Porte Liquor before being struck by another vehicle, which had fled the scene.

 

His story began to unravel, though, when officers noticed a large chunk of red brick fall from inside his front bumper after it was picked up from the pavement. Investigators then followed a trail of brick pieces for about 30 feet leading to a planter that had sustained significant damage and black paint transfer matching the color of the suspect’s vehicle, per the authorities. 

 

Crayton allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .161-percent, slightly above the legal limit.