Video shows DUI suspect aiming for store

A allegedly drunk driver recently tried to drive his vehicle inside of Russell's Market.

An allegedly drunk driver was apparently trying to drive his vehicle into the inside of a store on Old Murfreesboro Rd. on Jan. 8, a video shows.

Cannon County Sheriff's deputies responded to Russell's Market on that date following a report of a suspected reckless driver. Upon arrival they made contact with the owner of the store, James Russell Reed, who was examining the damage to his business as a vehicle had been wrecked into one of the main front pillars of the store.

A man arrived on scene and told deputies the driver of the vehicle had come to his house and asked to be taken to his residence. He said the name of the driver was Stan Hale. Hale lives near Russell's Market on Tassey Rd.

Reed told deputies he had a video of the incident as he had a camera pointed at the area the vehicle had crashed.

Reed showed the video to the Cannon Courier. It shows a car slowly approaching the store from the east on Old Murfreesboro Rd. at 9:13 p.m. on Jan. 8. The car sat in front of the store for about a minute, and then drove to the east side of the building and stayed there for about another minute.

Then, at exactly 9:15 p.m., the car circled out into the street and headed directly for the front entrance. If it had not run into the pillar, it would have crashed into the front of the store.

Hale is then observed moving around inside the vehicle before finally getting out (his right leg is broken) and taking off fairly quickly heading east.

Deputies went to Hale's residence and took him into custody without incident. He was charged with DUI, reckless driving and open container. He is to make his first appearance in Cannon County General Sessions Court on Jan. 23.

Mary Reed, who owns the store along with her husband, said the pillars have been in place since the 1030s. "They are a landmark and he (Hale) has destroyed it," she said.