Man arrested after crashing motorized bar stool while drunk

April 1, 2009

According to police, Kile Wygle, 28, from Newark, Ohio, was arrested for drunk driving after he crashed his motorized bar stool. The accident occurred on March 4.

While driving his bar stool, which is powered by a lawnmower engine, Wygle attempted to make a U-turn while going down his street and crashed. Police received a call from a local resident that Wygle had been injured in the crash. When police arrived, he was taken to a local hospital where police say he admitted to drinking 15 beers. After being treated for minor injuries, Wygle was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Wygle pleaded not guilty when appearing in court and denies that he was drunk, but that he did begin to consume alcohol following the crash. "I drank quite a bit after [the crash] because my head hurt so bad. I went in and drank a half a bottle of whiskey," stated Wygle to BBC News. He also requested a jury be present during his trial.

Wygle says his vehicle can travel nearly 40 miles per hour. Police say that motorized bar stools have become popular, with residents building them and then racing them. Most are made from old lawnmower parts, a steering wheel and a bar stool.