CHP: man arrested for DUI crash, stealing car, vandalizing semi in Trinity County

TRINITY COUNTY, Calif. — A man was arrested after driving under the influence, running away from officers, and vandalizing a semi-truck, according to the California Highway Patrol.

It started on Friday when Trinity River Area CHP officers responded to a crash near Highway 299 at Trinity Dam Blvd. The driver fled the scene before they arrived.

At the same time, deputies with the Trinity County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) were investigating major damage done to a metal gate near the scene of the crash.

During the investigation, the CHP was told a suspicious person was tampering with a tractor-trailer approximately five miles down the highway near Buckhorn Summit.

Both a CHP officer and a TCSO deputy responded. The man ran away from them but was quickly taken into custody.

Officers from the TCSO and the CHP determined the suspect was driving under the influence before crashing his car. They say he then fled the scene, stole another car, crashed through the locked gate, then vandalized the semi.

The man was booked into the Trinity County Jail on several charges.