A Shawnee Mission, Kan. man faces a pair of misdemeanor charges after allegedly driving drunk and damaging a pedestrian bridge located about 75 yards off the roadway in downtown Parkville, Mo.
Last week, Platte County prosecutor Eric Zahnd charged Thomas L. Jordan with DWI and careless and imprudent driving for the Nov. 24 incident. According to a probable cause statement, a Parkville Police Department officer responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident in the 8000 block of River Park Drive and found a blue 2000 Dodge Intrepid near the wooden pedestrian bridge at English Landing Park.
The officer noticed a white male, later identified as Jordan, standing near the vehicle attempting to talk on a cellular phone.
Jordan, who turned 39 on Dec. 3, said he was the driver and lone occupant of the car, which had struck and caused damage to the bridge. According to the probable cause statement, Jordan could not keep his balance and appeared to have red blood shot eyes.
The officer detected a strong odor of alcohol on Jordan’s breath and noted that the zipper was down on his jeans and his clothes disheveled.
“Oh, man. I messed up. I am drunk,” Jordan told the officer, according to the probable cause statement.
The officer asked Jordan if he sustained any injuries in the crash, and Jordan responded, “Two Crown (Royal) and Cokes.” The officer noted that he did not perform field sobriety tests due to a prior skull fracture for Jordan along with his inability to stand or walk on his own.
Jordan refused an on-site breath test, but after receiving a warrant, he was transported to St. Luke’s Northland Hospital where a blood sample was obtained. A review of Jordan’s criminal records showed two prior contacts for alcohol — one in 1999 and the other in 2008.
Released on bond, Jordan faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted on both counts. He’s forced to wear an alcohol-detection device as a condition of his bond.
The bridge — located at the east end of the park, running across a small drainage ditch — suffered significant damage, according to Parkville city administrator Lauren Palmer. It is currently closed to pedestrians with the railing on the north side completely removed.
Palmer said the City of Parkville is accepting and reviewing quotes on repairs and hopes to have those repairs finished in the next few weeks. The city hopes to recoup the money either from Jordan’s insurance or through the judicial process.