Police say man took drunken joyride on Kirkwood campus

Police arrested a man after they said he took a drunken joyride on the campus of Kirkwood Community College.

Jovi Smith, 21, of Keystone, was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with operating while intoxicated and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Police have accused Smith of damaging grassy medians on campus and a fence at a nearby apartment complex.

Officers first responded to the area around midnight when a hit-and-run was reported. A sport-utility vehicle drove through an apartment complex at 53 Kirkwood Ct. SW, damaging grass and a border fence, witnesses told police. No one was found.

Police were called back to the area around 4:55 a.m. for a possible drunk driver. They arrived and saw the driver of a white SUV squealing its tires. The officer pulled into the parking lot and activated the emergency lights, but the SUV continued driving to Johnson Hall.

When officers went up to the vehicle after it stopped, they identified Smith as the driver and could smell alcohol. They said he also had trouble standing. Smith failed field sobriety tests and later registered a 0.228 blood alcohol content, according to a criminal complaint.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said Smith was connected to the earlier hit-and-run, too. Smith was taken to the Linn County Jail, but had been released by Monday.