Covington church gets slammed by SUV

An illegal alien teaching himself to drive careened into a Covington area church Wednesday afternoon and destroyed a recent renovation job.

Roman Mateo Zeferino, 48, managed to escape unharmed when at about 4:40 p.m. he slammed a 1997 Ford Explorer head first into Iglesia de Dios Ebenezer Church at 1271 N. Lee Road, Capt. Jack West, Covington Police spokesman said.

Half of his vehicle was lodged in the lobby surrounded by crumbled bricks and mortar. The other half jutted outside under a crooked awning. In the process, Zeferino plowed through an entire glass window that somehow didn’t shatter, West said.

“Officers were amazed he wasn’t injured,” he said.

Unscathed, Zeferino crawled into the back seat and slipped out the back doors of the SUV when police arrived, West said.

At first, Zeferino who stays at 620 Magee St. Covington, could not be questioned because he spoke no English. But soon a passerby that spoke Spanish stopped and translated for officers, West said.

Through the translator, Zeferino told authorities he was in the United States illegally from Mexico and had no driver’s license, West said. He did however, have insurance and the vehicle was registered in his name, West said.

When asked what caused the accident, Zeferino told authorities he “was teaching himself to drive and lost control,” West said.

Although the church was undergoing renovations under new ownership and had just reopened, nobody was inside during the accident, West said.

Zeferino, however, could face felony charges. Louisiana lawmakers enacted the felony punishment for any illegal immigrants caught driving illegally, West said.

Covington Police had already booked him with careless operation of motor vehicle and driving with no driving license, both misdemeanors with a $150 fine.

Zeferino was issued a summons on the careless operation charge and remains free.