Kenosha OWI crash into home, driver arrested: sheriff

KENOSHA, Wis. - Kenosha County sheriff's deputies say a driver under the influence slammed into a Kenosha home, causing his car to catch fire against the structure.

It happened near 60th and Pershing in Kenosha around 3 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. The sheriff's department said the car and home were on fire with the driver unable to get himself out of his SUV.

"I tried to make eye contact with him, he gave me some light response, but the airbags were completely deployed," said Kenosha County Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Thomas. "He really wasn't all there."

Ronald Mello-Berrospi (Courtesy KCSD)

The deputy cut the driver's seatbelt and pulled him out before the fire spread to the SUV's cabin. The sheriff's department identified the driver as Ronald Mello-Berrospi. 

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"Think of it like an earthquake," said Ruth Vogt, whose home was struck by the SUV. "He hit the house, and cabinets opened. Everything went flying. You heard the house and then you heard glass breaking for a long time things were flying off the wall every closet opened up he shifted the whole foundation."

Deputy Thomas made sure Vogt got out of her house too. 

"There was so much smoke in the house I couldn’t breathe," Vogt said. 

Thomas said the situation could have easily made a turn for the worse. 

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"Gentleman was extremely lucky with the location that this ended up happening, and myself being in the area, and him being several blocks from the fire department -- prevented a lot of damage and loss of life," Thomas said. 

The sheriff's department said Mello-Berrospi was arrested and booked into the Kenosha County Jail for OWI, reckless driving, operating without a valid license and more.