Home / Crime and Justice / Drunk Driver Crushes Brand-New $506,000 Home in Excavator Rampage
Drunk Driver Crushes Brand-New $506,000 Home in Excavator Rampage
14 Nov
Summary
- 29-year-old Fred J. Kudrna IV arrested for DUI, burglary, and malicious property damage
- Kudrna used an excavator to systematically destroy a newly completed home in Post Falls, Idaho
- Witnesses saw a black van fleeing the scene after the home was crushed
On November 13, 2025, a shocking incident occurred in Post Falls, Idaho, where a 29-year-old man named Fred J. Kudrna IV was arrested for using an excavator to systematically destroy a newly completed home. The home, which was listed for $506,000 and pending sale, was completely crushed, leaving only a single column standing.
Witnesses, including a neighbor named Nate Shoemaker, reported hearing a loud noise around 5:40 a.m. and seeing the excavator tearing through the house. Shoemaker said he was ready to intervene if the driver of the excavator came towards his own home, but the driver quickly backed out and fled the scene in a black van.
Police were called, and Kudrna was later arrested and charged with DUI, felony burglary, and felony malicious injury to property. Kudrna told officers that he had consumed alcohol and was living in his van in the area. However, he denied driving the excavator or demolishing the home, despite witnesses identifying his vehicle at the scene.
The destruction of the newly completed home has left the community in shock, and authorities are still investigating the motive behind Kudrna's actions. The removal of the twisted, broken remnants of the home has been halted pending asbestos testing, even though the home was brand new.
