Drunk man accused of ramming car into Bristol strip club
After getting too friendly with the dancers at Club Bristol, a Madison man got downright evil with the building and now faces a felony charge of criminal damage to property for allegedly running his car into the walls of the strip club last Thursday night.
When Matthew Viegut, 29, was asked if he knew why he was pulled over not far from the scene of the crime, he told Deputy James Kartman "he was wasted and it didn't matter anymore." The criminal complaint adds that as Kartman questioned Viegut about the incident he kept saying "he didn't care what happened to him, it didn't matter, and he thought the whole thing was very funny."
Viegut probably didn't think so when he got to court Tuesday and found he was charged with a felony count of criminal damage to property, which can carry up to three years and six months of prison and extended supervision time, and charges of drunk driving and hit-and-run.
It all started when Viegut walked into the northern Dane County strip club and got a drink, manager Aaron Rostad would later tell police. When Viegut was unable to count his change the bartender realized he was too intoxicated to continue drinking, the complaint says, so Rostad poured out his drink. Viegut later stole a bottle of beer from a dancer, but paid for it when asked to do so, the complaint says.
What apparently started the trouble was Viegut was getting too friendly with the dancers, the complaint says, and the disc jockey told the bouncer he had better keep an eye on him. Viegut overheard that, but left the bar without causing any disturbance, the complaint says.
Those inside then heard a loud bang, and ran outside in time to see Viegut was ramming in his car into the building walls.
A video surveillance tape of the parking lot shows Viegut coming out of the building at 8:17 p.m., getting into his silver Honda, then driving around to the north side of the building. Viegut apparently hit that side, then came back and hit the east wall of the building.
Within seconds several staff came rushing out of the building and stood in front of where Viegut had just hit the wall. They all scattered as Viegut raced his car toward the building again "and slam(med) into the outside wall," the complaint says. A deputy who viewed the tape said he could see that Viegut's airbags deployed in the vehicle at that point, but Viegut backed out and drove away on Highway V. He was stopped minutes later.
An estimator for a repair service said the cost to repair the damaged north and east side walls of the building would likely run in the $10,000 to $12,000 range.
Viegut, after being arrested and placed in the back of a county squad car, began spitting at the windows and swearing at deputies, the complaint says. He had a blood alcohol content of 0.24 when tested, or three times the legal limit.
