Woman accused of crashing into Stone Furniture pleads not guilty

The 33-year-old woman accused of crashing a truck into the Stone Furniture Company on Second Avenue Monday afternoon pleaded not guilty to a list of traffic and drug possession charges Wednesday in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Kelly Alicia Butts of Phenix City sustained minor injures to her bottom lip in the 4:43 p.m. crash but refused treatment at Midtown Medical Center. During a 2 p.m. court hearing, she faced two counts of having an open container and one count each of driving under the influence, reckless driving, striking a fixed object, driving with a suspended license, crossing the guard lines with contraband and possession of a controlled substance. Judge Mary Buckner ordered Butts held on bonds totaling $7,500 and pay $1,400 in fines on striking a fixed object, open container and reckless driving.

Officer Christian Gibney testified that tires were spinning on the southbound 1981 Chevrolet pickup truck when Butts crashed through the front window of the furniture store at 3110 Second Ave.

In the back of the business at the time, store owner Ron Dacus heard the crash and a woman screaming. His wife, Brenda, said she was entering the store when she saw the truck coming up behind her toward the entrance.

Brenda ran to safety between a couch and loveseat as shattered glass flew around her and several pieces of furniture overturned. She walked away from the incident with minor cuts to her right foot and left hand.

“I saw the woman behind the wheel and she had to really work to get out of the truck,” she said.

Gibney said the wreck caused approximately $5,500 worth of damage to the store, including $4,000 to the building and $1,500 to store merchandise.

Witnesses told the responding officer that the driver, who was described as a black woman wearing a pink tank top, fled the scene on foot and headed down 32nd Street toward Third Avenue. He was later told that she was behind a residence in the 3100 block of Third Avenue.

When Gibney went to the area, he spotted the suspect attempting to jump over the rear fence in the backyard. She was taken into custody and returned to the scene. The officer said he was placing Butts into custody when he smelled a strong odor of alcohol.

Police said an officer conducted field sobriety tests on Butts and she showed signs of being impaired. She allegedly refused all other testing.

In the truck, police found one empty 50-milliliter bottle of Vodka lying in the front seat and a half empty 200-milliliter bottle of vodka in the driver’s floorboard, the officer said in an arrest report.

After arriving at the jail, Gibney said about a half gram of suspected cocaine was taken from Butts in her sock.

The officer also testified the owner of the pickup gave the vehicle to Butts to watch children at his house before the crash. The owner was working at an appliance business up the street that day.

Represented by public defender Charles Lykins, Butts remained silent during the hearing and didn’t testify.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Woman accused of crashing into Stone Furniture pleads not guilty."