STRAWBERRY PLAINS, Tenn. — A Florida man faces DUI charges after Knoxville police said he drove his semi-trailer into an inn in Strawberry Plains overnight.
Raul Medina, 34, of Kissimmee, Florida, drove his semi-trailer into the Rodeway Inn on Brakebill Road just after 4:30 a.m. Sunday, according to KPD.
Officers said he hit the canopy over the main entrance as he pulled into the parking lot. Then, he panicked and tried to back up and pull forward again, causing the entire canopy to collapse on top of the rig.
Troy Geiser said the incident woke him up, and he rushed out to see what was going on.
"We were sleeping soundly for an hour and all of a sudden, I'm in the middle of a Garth Brooks song, 'Papa Loved Mama.'
Geiser said it sounded like a trash truck had gotten flipped over and then it did it like three more times.
"This truck, I come out here and stuff is flying. This guy keeps going back and forth. He won't stop. He is moving the truck just in and out and stuff just is falling. It was amazing," Geiser said.
He said he ran into the inn's owner while he was surveying the damage.
"I went out and the guy was standing by a Nissan. He was scratching his head. He was like, 'Oh no.' I said, 'Is that your Nissan?' He said, 'No, this is my hotel' I was like, 'Oh, I'm sorry.' He wasn't too happy," Geiser said.
Medina was not injured, KPD said, but some cars were damaged in the crash.