DUI charge for driver of Bentley that rammed hole in apartments

The driver of a Bentley Continental GT that plowed through a wall at a Center City apartment complex Thursday has been charged with DUI - his second traffic offense this year.

Police identified the driver as Terrance Smith, 34, of N 21st St., North Philadelphia. He was charged with driving under the influence and criminal mischief.

An municipal court arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 8.

Police said Smith was behind the wheel of a speeding, 2006 Bentley that slammed into a building at the Park Towne Place Apartments on the 2200 block of Benjamin Franklin Parkway about 4:15 a.m. Thursday.

The crash knocked a large hole in the brick facade.

Smith was taken to nearby Hahnemann University Hospital, but was uninjured, police said. A male passenger in the car broke an arm.

Police said the Bentley was "traveling at a high rate of speed" after exiting the Vine Street Expressway onto 22nd street, and plowing though a stop sign, before coming air born, the hitting the wall.

Court records show Smith was charged with a moving violation in May. He pleaded guilty the following month to failing to obey a traffic control device.