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Driver Crashes Into Garage Before Ending Up In Pond

MONTGOMERY, Ill. (STMW) -- A west suburban couple was jarred out of bed early Friday after a car crashed into the side of their garage, then nose-dived into a retention pond.

The accident occurred about 1 a.m. in the 100 block of Pine Ridge Lane in Montgomery, and the driver has been charged with DUI, according to Montgomery police.

Homeowner Andrea Schmidt said her dogs woke her up after the crash and she knew something wasn't right when she saw lights out in her pond. She walked out to the pond and saw a later-model Chrysler nose-first in the water.

"Everybody's safe, the dogs are fine, my husband is fine, the house is, y'know, rebuildable," Schmidt told a reporter while standing outside her home.

The driver, who was unconscious at first, told Schmidt that he had been drinking before the crash, Schmidt said.

Eric B. Vazquez, 22, of the 100 block of Maple Ridge Lane in Montgomery has been charged with DUI, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, a statement from police said.

Fire crews towed the car out of the pond.

Vazquez was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 27 in St. Charles.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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