Saturday, October 24, 2009

Can't Make This Up

The operator of a La-Z-Boy chair converted into a motorized vehicle -- complete with a stereo and cup holders -- has admitted that he crashed the piece of furniture after leaving a bar in Proctor, Minn., extremely drunk.

Dennis LeRoy Anderson, 61, of Proctor, pleaded guilty Monday to hopping on the chair on the night of Aug. 31, 2008, after visiting the Keyboard Lounge, then crashing into a more traditional vehicle in the parking lot. Anderson's blood-alcohol content was 0.29 percent, more than three times the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.

Deputy Police Chief Troy Foucault said Thursday that the chair is "quite decked out." Along with the stereo and cup holders, it is driven by a converted gasoline-powered lawnmower, and has a steering wheel, headlights and a power antenna.

Foucault estimated that the La-Z-Boy can top out at 15 to 20 miles per hour. A National Hot Rod Association sticker adorns the headrest.

The chair was impounded and will be sold at the next police auction.

"We have quite a few people calling about buying it," said Foucault, who half-seriously acknowledged that he is tempted to bid on it, except that "I have kids who would take it out and drive it on the street."

Anderson admitted to police that he had been drinking at home, was leaving the bar and had drunk eight or nine beers that day before getting on the La-Z-Boy and crashing it into a Dodge Intrepid parked outside, Foucault said. Anderson was treated for minor injuries and given a field sobriety test, even though he pleaded several times with the officer to "give him a break," according to the police report.

"He failed everything," Foucault said, which led to Anderson's arrest and seizure of the chair. The officer on the scene checked Anderson's driver's license and determined that it had been revoked because of a previous drunken-driving conviction, according to police.

Via: Star Tribune

6 comments:

Opus #6 said...

Just goes to show you. Don't drink and recline. It just ain't safe!

LL said...

So there you are, sound asleep, you roll over and you're out the door ripping across the lawn at 20 mph.

I LIKE IT!

Soloman said...

Opus, I'm not so sure.. I think it would be pretty sweet to be able to take your favorite recliner to the bar, to work, to the grocery store..

Of course there's the drinking thing which I don't do much of, so maybe I'm not the best example to make your point.

Soloman said...

LL - It's obviously a guy thing. If I could afford to go to the auction you can bet I'd consider being there!

tammy said...

That is hilarious.

Soloman said...

I agree, Tammy, and we all could certainly use a laugh now and then..