Man Charged After Driving Into Palos Park Ice Cream Parlor

PALOS PARK, Ill. (CBS/STMW) -- A man has been charged after police say he crashed his car into a southwest suburban ice cream parlor Saturday night.

About 11:06 p.m., 28-year-old John Kelsey of Orland Park turned his vehicle onto 86th Avenue from 123rd Street and struck two vehicles, according to Palos Park police. He then veered across the street into the courtyard area of The Plush Horse at 12301 S. 86th Ave., and the vehicle struck a portion of the building.

The ice cream shop had "extensive damage" and part of the building was boarded up, according to a police statement. The building is "unable to be used by the business."

Though the shop had closed for the night, employees were still working and cleaning up, police said. Kelsey refused medical treatment and no other people were injured.

Kelsey is charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving and exceeding the legal blood alcohol level of .08 by three times, the statement said.

"If this incident had happened two hours earlier, it would have been catastrophic," Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller said in a statement. "The Plush Horse courtyard would have been packed with families and children enjoying their ice cream."

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)