Bar-goer charged for claiming truck he crashed was stolen

NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Feb. 1, 2022) – A New Philadelphia man is facing a slew of charges for reporting his truck stolen after crashing it into a parked car.

The 21-year-old reported the theft on December 29th just after 1 am, initially claiming the truck had been parked at a tavern in Mineral City then calling back to say he left it in front of the Broadway Brewhouse in downtown New Philadelphia. That was minutes after witnesses reported seeing the same truck side-swipe a car parked in 400-block of East 7th Street in Dover and two men flee on foot. Call records indicate the man who reported the truck stolen called New Phila Police the next day saying he had not been entirely forthright with what he reported. He’s charged with failure to control, driving without a license, and filing a false report.

The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office had also been searching for the truck and its occupants on the night of the crash in connection with an apparent road rage incident during which three men were assaulted at a Brightwood intersection. No charges have been filed at this point, and it’s unclear if the man and his passenger are considered suspects.

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