Adam's not off to a good start with this driving thing

Maryella Wallace was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom June 23 when she awoke to the sound of squealing tires and a car crashing through the wall.

A driver had crashed into the one-story home, hitting her bed and destroying the mattress and frame. She was covered in plaster that fell from the wall, but escaped without serious injury.

The driver pulled out of the house, leaking oil all over the front lawn before driving away.

Four months later, the house is repaired and, with the exception of a patch of dead grass killed by the motor oil, it is hard to tell what happened. The Davenport home in the 2300 block of Rusholme Street sits one house away from the nearest intersection and at least 20 yards from the road.

Maryella and her husband, Ronald Wallace, were surprised to learn this week that the man who allegedly crashed into their home finally was arrested.

Adam Carney Conn, 22, of 2857 Fillmore Lane, Davenport, is charged in Scott County District Court with five counts stemming from that night, including striking fixtures upon a highway, control of a vehicle, driving under suspension, speeding restriction and driving under suspension with habitual violations and non-payment of fines.

Afterward, the Wallaces found pieces of their house several blocks away. Aluminum siding was left scattered across the bedroom floor.

“You could see where his tires spun on the carpet,” Ronald Wallace recalled.

Conn was in custody Tuesday at the Scott County Jail on $10,500 bond — the same amount as the property damage listed in the court file, but the Wallaces say it cost about $15,000 to repair their home.

According to the charges, Conn allegedly avoided being caught by police a couple of times the night of the accident. A Davenport officer tried to stop a vehicle at 2:30 a.m. June 23 at 2399 W. Central Park Ave. for speeding, court records state, but as the officer was walking to the vehicle, the driver took off.

About five minutes later, while turning from Pine Street onto Rusholme Street, the driver lost control and crashed through two yards before hitting the Wallace home, according to court records.

A Davenport officer later identified Conn through a police mug shot. An arrest warrant was filed, but Conn was not found until Saturday morning.