Man charged with smashing thousands of dollars' worth of garden items
outside North Stafford Wal-Mart.
By KEITH EPPS
The Free Lance-Star
Date published: Thu, 03/21/2002
Police say a Stafford County man barreled through a Wal-Mart's garden
section Tuesday night, causing $4,000 worth of damage and startling
employees.
Sheriff Charles Jett said several employees were in the garden section
outside the main store off Garrisonville Road about 9:20 p.m. when a 2001
Dodge Dakota plowed through the cinder-block walls and wooden poles
surrounding the garden area.
The wayward truck smashed numerous plants, flowers, tools and shelves. Jett
said nearly 90 items were damaged by the careening vehicle.
Debris was strewn all over the area when deputies arrived, but no one was
injured.
"That's what everyone was most thankful about," Jett said. "Someone could
have easily been seriously injured or killed."
The driver left the area after the rampage and was seen traveling on Mine
Road toward Garrisonville Road. Deputies responding to the call did not
immediately find him.
But someone had gotten the license number of the runaway truck. Police later
apprehended Richard Wayne Flowers, 25, at his home on Spring Lake Drive in
North Stafford.
Flowers was charged with driving while intoxicated, destruction of property
and hit-and-run.
Jett said Flowers, whose vehicle was damaged, told police he left the area
after the accident because he was scared.
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