Drunken man 'stole a golf cart on New Year’s Eve packed with champagne and tried to drive 74 miles to his house’

A Northern California man started off 2013 on a wrong foot after police say he stole a golf cart while intoxicated, loaded it up with champagne and headed home from a New Year's Eve party.

According to Angels Camp police, 46-year-old John Vishion, of Citrus Heights, drove the cart for about 13 miles on a highway before being stopped by police early Tuesday morning.

Investigators said Vishion confessed to his crimes. He was then charged with burglary, vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, grand theft and DUI.



Joyride: John Vishion admitted to stealing a Club Car golf cart from a garage, tossing in five bottles of champagne and driving away on his way home 74 miles away

Officers responded to a report of a stolen golf cart in Angels Camp early Tuesday morning. The owner said that sometime after 11.40pm on New Year's Eve, someone came into the garage and swiped the vehicle along with several golf clubs and five bottles of bubbly.

California Highway Patrol officers received a 911 call from a motorist saying that a golf cart was spotted making its way on Highway 4.

‘I passed him, then I came back, passed him again. The second time he was gesticulating and it scared me that he was there,’ witness Nora Brown told CBS13 .

An officer caught up with the suspected drunken driver at around 5am on the side of the road just west of Little John Road near the Copperopolis Town Square, Calaveras Enterprise reprted.

Following Vishion's arrest, the man told officers that he was staying at the Trendwest Wyndham Resort in Angels Camp, but left shortly before midnight after an argument.

Party gone awry: Vishion was celebrating New Year's Eve at the Trendwest Wyndham Resort in Angels Camp, but he left shortly before midnight over an argument

As he was walking on Smith Flat Road in Greenhorn Creek, Vishion spotted a Club Car golf cart in a garage of one of the houses. He unplugged the vehicle, loaded it with champagne bottles and took off on a joyride en route to Citrus Heights some 74 miles away, according to News10 .

But on his way home, the inebriated reveller took a wrong turn and was arrested in Copperopolis about 13 miles from Angels Camp.

While being questioned by police, Vishion admitted that he was very fortunate to not have been involved in a crash on a road with a 55mph speed limit.

Vishion is being held on $56,250 bail at the Calaveras County Jail.

Meanwhile, police said the owner of the golf cart will be getting back his vehicle along with the pilfered clubs and champagne.