News

Teen charged with DUI after crashing car into Naperville home

Posted August 02, 2012 9:14 am

Lee Filas

Joseph Wheeler

A 17-year-old Naperville resident was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing his car through the dining room window of an occupied home.

Joseph Wheeler, of the 300 block of Prairie Knoll Drive, also was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident following the crash at 9:32 p.m. Monday at 414 Robin Hill Drive in the West Highlands neighborhood.

Naperville Sgt. Gregg Bell said Wheeler likely was speeding when he lost control of his silver, four-door Volkswagen Jetta and ran over the lawn before smashing into the dining room.

“We’ll never know how fast he was going because we got there after the fact,” Bell said. “But witnesses have stated he was doing at least 70 mph.”

Neither Wheeler nor the home’s occupants were injured. Wheeler was immediately arrested and has since bonded out of jail.

Building inspectors were called to the home to determine if there was a structural problem. Results of the inspection were unknown, Bell said.

A boarded-up window marks where a car crashed into this house on Robin Hill Drive in Naperville. The teen driver has been charged with two counts of DUI. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com

Witnesses told police Joseph Wheeler was going at least 70 mph when he careened through the front yard and then the dining room window of a south Naperville home. Courtesy Naperville Police

No one was injured late Monday when 17-year-old Joseph Wheeler drove this car through the dining room window of a Naperville home. courtesy Naperville Police

Residents were home but uninjured late Monday when a car driven by an intoxicated teenager drove into their dining room. Courtesy Naperville Police

The driver of this car, 17-year-old Joseph Wheeler, was charged with driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed after crashing through the dining room window of a Naperville home late Monday. Photo courtesy of Naperville Police

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