A 26-year-old Imperial man could face multiple charges for allegedly stealing a pickup and causing a three-vehicle accident on Hwy. 61-67 near Mystic Oaks Drive in Imperial, all while naked, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Gary Higginbotham reported.
The Sheriff’s Office got a call around 7 a.m. July 24 to check on the well-being of the man after he reportedly was spotted naked in the 1000 block of Mulberry Lane in Imperial. Prior to that, the man attempted to leave his home in a pickup, but it was blocked in by a car, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The man allegedly tried to push the car out of the way with the pickup, but he couldn’t move the car, and when he backed up, the pickup struck a tree. He then walked away from the home, the report said.
After leaving Mulberry Lane, the man reportedly removed his clothing and allegedly stole a 1988 Chevrolet Silverado parked outside a home in the 1100 block of Willow Bend Road, which is near Mulberry Lane. He then drove away and allegedly traveled north in the southbound lane on Hwy. 61-67 and struck a 2008 GMC Sierra and then a 2014 Mazda CX-5, according to the report.
The Silverado went off the west side of the highway, hitting and uprooting a tree before the pickup went airborne and then landed about 20 feet from the road, ejecting the naked man. The Sierra spun around before coming to rest on the highway, and the CX-5 went off the west side of the highway and through a wooded area before coming to rest in the backyard of a home, the report said.
Chance Ruble, 42, of Imperial was driving the Sierra, and Brian Hipp, 30, of Chesterfield was driving the CX-5. No injuries were reported for either of them.
However, the suspect was hurt and transported to an area hospital, where a blood sample was drawn and where he was treated and released, the report said.
The Silverado was totaled, and the Sierra and CX-5 each were extensively damaged, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Depending on the results of the suspect’s blood analysis, the Sheriff’s Office will seek charges against him through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for driving while intoxicated, assault and tampering with a motor vehicle, Higginbotham said.