Police beat

BY LINDSAY RUEBENS

LITTLE ROCK — Two hurt by crash into Waffle House

A North Little Rock man who police say was driving drunk ran into a storefront window of a
Waffle House on Saturday morning, injuring two customers, according to a police report.

Robert Wheeler Jr., 22, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated, driving without a
license and careless driving after crashing into the Waffle House at 2401 Main St. in North Little
Rock about 5 a.m., the report said. The restaurant is next door to the North Little Rock Police
administration building.

The two injured customers, who were dining at the time, were taken to Baptist Health Medical
Center-North Little Rock with complaints of back and neck pain, the report said.

Wheeler told an officer he was drunk and confused the gas and brake pedals, the report said.

Wheeler was taken to police headquarters, where he registered a 1.3 blood-alcohol content at
6:30 a.m., the report said. Arkansas’ legal limit is 0.08.

Brent Schlinker, the restaurant’s manager, said the window didn’t break but just fell in.

What did break was a jukebox between the window and the table where the customers were
seated. Schlinker said the jukebox probably saved their lives.

He said he expects the damage to cost at least $1,000, but that will be evaluated sometime next
week.

Wheeler was being held Saturday evening at the Pulaski County jail in lieu of $2,142 bond, jail
records show.

Information for this article was contributed by Chad Day of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
This article was published July 4, 2010 at 5:38 a.m.
Arkansas, Pages 18 on 07/04/2010