Officer Can’t Work after Driver Crashes into Missouri Bar

A suburban St. Louis officer is unable to work after a man charged with drunken driving crashed into the bar where he was eating.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 38-year-old Keith Messmer, of Eureka, was off duty last month when the motorist drove into Poor Richard’s Restaurant. Two others also were hurt, although not as severely. Messmer is using a walker, and a doctor has restricted his activity for at least 12 weeks. He says the Riverview police department is going to replace him after April 14 because the department is so small.

Police say 26-year-old Christopher Zotta, of Pacific, was arrested after fleeing the scene. He faces felony charges of driving while intoxicated and causing serious physical injury, and leaving the scene of an accident with physical injury.