A man is in critical condition after driving his car into a house Tuesday afternoon.
Mines Cauthen Jr., 45, was driving south on North Ashe Avenue in Newton at about 3:10 p.m. when he crossed the centerline, went over the curb and struck a home in the 800 block, according to police reports.
The owner of the house was home at the time resting, and heard a racing motor and felt a "thud," according to police reports. He looked outside and saw the vehicle in his yard.
Cauthen was driving between 25 and 30 mph before the wreck. According to Newton Police Officer B.D. Bixby, it doesn't look as though Cauthen applied his breaks before he struck the house.
The Honda Accord came to an abrupt stop when it struck the house, causing Cauthen, who was not wearing his seatbelt, to go partially through the windshield, stopping around his collarbone area, and then going back through the windshield, into the car, according to Sgt. Brad Hendren with the Newton Police Department.
Hendren said there was a pint-size flask that was in the car, which was ejected during the wreck. However, the flask was completely full, he said.
Police believe Cauthen, who lives in Newton, had been drinking prior to the crash, according to the police report.
The homeowner's wall is cracked on the inside, but sustained minimal damage, Hendren said. Damage estimated at $1,000, according to the police report.
Cauthen was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center for his injuries, where he was in critical condition, according to the police report. Cauthen was then transported to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
No charges have been filed, but the investigation is continuing.
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