Teenager Accused Of Driving Drunk, Crashing Into Neighbors' Cars

A teenager from Mentor is accused of crashing into his neighbors' parked cars while driving drunk early Thursday morning.

Nicholas Bednarcik, 19, drank a bottle of wine and decided to go for a drive around his neighborhood at about 3:49 a.m., Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.

Bednarcik, who does not have a driver's license, took a family member's Ford Taurus. While driving on Grovewood Drive, he lost control of the car while trying to make a turn, Zbiegien said.

Bednarcik would later tell police that he was going about 60 mph on the side street.

The Taurus drove across a yard on the 8000 block of Grovewood Drive, damaged four cars that were parked in a neighbors' driveway -- one of them seriously -- and flipped, Zbiegien said.

Bednarcik left the crash scene to tell the Taurus's owner about it. When he came back, police were there.

Bednarcik had some injuries so paramedics took him to the hospital to be treated. While there, he agreed to give a blood sample so it could be tested for alcohol.

Police charged Bednarcik with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless operation of a car, driving without a license and failure to control his vehicle.

He was arraigned Thursday in . He pleaded not guilty to the charges and Judge John Trebets set his bond at $5,500, which was posted.

Bednarcik's next court hearing is scheduled May 3.