Crashed truck
Deputies with the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office took an area man into custody on Friday afternoon after the stolen truck he was driving forced Sheriff Eric Watson to take evasive action to avoid striking the vehicle.
Sheriff Watson was patrolling in the area of Bates Pike when an alert was issued for a light blue F-150 pickup truck for a possible vandalism in progress. The sheriff made contact with the truck at the moment the driver ran a stop sign at Bates Pike and Kinser Road, nearly striking Sheriff Watson’s patrol vehicle.
After taking evasive action to avoid the truck, the sheriff activated his emergency equipment and was joined by Patrol Lieutenant Cheryl Holloway as the pickup turned onto New Hope Road, passing her in a no passing zone.
As the Lieutenant rounded a sharp curve on New Hope Road, she observed the truck had left the road, striking a tree head-on. The driver, identified as Christopher John Gooch, 25, of Bradley County, along with two passengers, received medical attention after the crash.
Further investigation revealed Gooch had allegedly borrowed the truck from an acquaintance some two weeks ago, failing to return it at the agreed-upon time.
Gooch was charged with evading arrest, theft over $1,000, failure to obey a traffic control device and three counts of reckless endangerment. He is also being held for Hamilton County for failure to appear in court.
Gooch was booked into the Bradley County Jail.
Christopher Gooch