Suspected drunken driver slams into Granite City home

A suspected drunken driver plowed into a Granite City home shortly after midnight Wednesday, severely damaging the structure and forcing the family that was inside to leave.

According to police, a woman who was driving a large sport utility vehicle lost control and drove through the front porch and into a home in the 1400 block of Madison Avenue.

Granite City Fire Chief Vince Martinez said the SUV struck several trees before entering the home near its northeast corner.

There were four people in the home, including two children. They weren’t hurt in the crash. But authorities ruled that the house wasn’t safe for occupancy because of the extensive damage.

“We called an inspection officer to the scene. He made the determination that it was unsafe at that time,” Martinez said. “There may have been some more assessment today but we weren’t involved in that process.”

The driver, whose name has not been released by police, was taken to a St. Louis hospital in stable condition. Martinez said firefighters had to extricate a passenger from the vehicle, but the passenger’s condition is unknown.

Police said they expect charges will be filed against the driver. A dog also was in the SUV, police said. It is believed to be alright after the crash.

As of Wednesday evening, the Red Cross had not responded to assist the family because they had not been notified. A representative said the organization would reach out to authorities in order to contact and assist the family.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 6:59 AM with the headline "Suspected drunken driver slams into Granite City home."