Story Archive

How Did That Building Get There?

Derrick LaForest, 33, told police he went to a Taco Bell in Pittsfield, Mass., and, when he learned it was closed, drove away — somehow hitting the building. Witness statements in the police report fill in the details. They say LaForest pulled up to the drive-thru window shortly after 1:30 a.m. and began honking his horn. After he “laid on the horn for at least two minutes,” a staff member went outside to inform LaForest that they were closed. LaForest allegedly sped out of the drive-thru and through the parking lot, until he hit a curb, lost control, hit a second curb, and smashed into a small structure that used to house an ATM. The impact caused extensive damage to the building, and LaForest was dragged unconscious from the car. He pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless driving and vandalism, and was released on $500 bail. (MS/Berkshire Eagle) ...He has also completely redefined “drive-thru ATM.”