Cops: Beer run plows path of mayhem

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) - A joyride for a group of teens in southeastern New Mexico left a lot of damage through town, and Roswell police say the 17-year-old behind the wheel was drunk.  

After seeing the wreckage, witnesses said they're surprised no one was killed. 

The trail of destruction included a smashed car stuck on a tree stump.  Moments earlier it was parked in a driveway next door.
    
Around 9:30 Tuesday night, residents on East Bland Street in Roswell heard commotion outside.

"We were just sitting in our living room watching TV, and then we just heard this horrible noise," said one homeowner who did not wish to be identified.  "We came out to see what it was."

The woman said the car crashed in her front yard belongs to her daughter, who lives next door.

"As soon as we opened the door, we really couldn't see nothing because it was just a whole bunch of dust, and we could hear the gas, the natural gas just really hissing really loud," recalled the woman.

Police said the driver, Josh Linares, 17, was drunk when he crashed an SUV through fences, dragged a car onto a stump, hit a gas line and then crashed into another car parked on the street.

Earlier that night, an off-duty officer spotted a group of teens stealing booze at Albertsons. According to police, when they sped off police tried to pull them over, but Linares didn't stop until he crashed.

Linares was arrested at the scene. His three passengers, ages 13, 14 and 15, were all given citations and treated for minor injuries.

The owner of car Linares smashed into had parked and walked away with her two kids minutes before the crash.

"The way that car looks, whoever had been in the driver's side and maybe in the passenger side in the back, they probably would have been killed," said one witness.

Police said they didn't tow the car that was stuck on the tree stump because it was on private property.
     
Fixing the damaged fences and the gas line plus settling the totaled car will all come at the expense of the homeowners, who expect it will cost thousands.

Linares is facing a slew of charges including aggravated DWI. Police said they found a 30-pack and 18-pack of beer in the car.