photo by: Kim Callahan

Emergency crews respond after a car struck the Big Mill restaurant at Ninth and Mississippi streets on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.

A Lawrence man who’s accused of driving his car into Big Mill restaurant has been charged in Douglas County District Court with his third DUI and other crimes in connection with the 2022 crash that injured three customers and severely damaged the historic building.

The man, Brandon Lee Vess, 30, faces his third DUI count, three felony counts of aggravated battery while driving under the influence, one misdemeanor count of driving recklessly and one misdemeanor count of no proof of insurance. The charges are in connection with an incident on Nov. 4, 2022.

As the Journal-World previously reported, emergency crews were dispatched shortly after 8:30 p.m. that day to Big Mill restaurant, 900 Mississippi St., where a white SUV had crashed into the northwest corner of the restaurant.

The driver of the vehicle, Vess, was taken to a regional trauma center with critical injuries, and three customers inside the restaurant suffered moderate injuries but did not need to be taken to the hospital, police said at the time. The restaurant was evacuated after the crash when it was determined that the building wasn’t structurally sound.

The restaurant was able to reopen a few days later, as the Journal-World reported. Brad Ziegler, Big Mill’s owner, said at the time that police told him the vehicle was traveling 50 to 60 mph when it hit the building. Ziegler said investigators told him it appeared the vehicle hydroplaned on the rainy night and spun out before it hit the building.

The Big Mill building dates back to the early 1900s, when it was constructed by German stonemasons as a grocery store, Ziegler told the Journal-World. He said the heavy brick construction likely prevented more serious injuries to people inside the building.

Vess appeared in court in connection with the charges on Friday and was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Monday before being released on a $15,000 own-recognizance bond, meaning he was not required to pay any money to be released from jail but may be charged that amount if he fails to appear in court. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for a status conference.

Court records indicate that the first of Vess’ previous DUI convictions occurred in Douglas County in 2017. It’s unclear when and where the second DUI occurred.