KEN RITTER
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 40-year-old driver who police said seemed proud and excited about his actions is accused of intentionally driving a pickup truck through the glass doors of the Stratosphere casino on the Las Vegas Strip, according to an arrest report made public Thursday.
No one was hurt in the crash a little after 8 p.m. Wednesday, police said, but driver Ryan Brown struggled with security guards before police arrived to arrest him on charges of felony cocaine possession, misdemeanor driving under the influence and reckless driving.
Brown was described by arresting officers as extremely excited, speaking fast and rambling about having the same birthday as Elvis Presley, working as an electrician at the Burning Man counterculture festival in northern Nevada, and being fired after a domestic dispute with his wife. Her name and his hometown weren’t provided.
Police said Brown admitted using drugs for six days and smoking crack cocaine two hours before the crash. He told officers he wanted to jump off the Stratosphere tower and that he was excited to be making news. Police reported finding more than 1 gram of crack in the vehicle ashtray.
“Brown later seemed proud and excited about the incident,” the police report said.
Brown is accused of driving on a sidewalk past pedestrians and arguing with at least one man near the valet area. He then “aggressively accelerated” and turned right toward the front glass doors of the casino, police said.
Security video recorded the scene as Brown’s Ford F-150 pickup came to a stop amid broken glass, wedged between railings of a four-step casino stairway, police said.
“He’s lucky there were no injuries,” said Officer Jose Hernandez, a department spokesman.
The video was impounded as evidence and wasn’t made public.
Brown was being held on $5,000 bail at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas pending initial court appearances. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer.
The Stratosphere is known for its 1,149-foot tower resembling the iconic Space Needle in Seattle.
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