Man flees with repo man hanging from car
May 9—A Cookeville towing company employee was injured when the vehicle he was sent to repossess sped away with the man hanging from the pickup truck. The driver who fled now faces a felony charge.
Thomas Alan Uchytil, 57, no address available, was arrested and now faces charges of reckless endangerment and hindering a secured creditor.
The incident was reported to Crossville Police Wednesday around 2 a.m. when two employees of Cookeville Towing and Recovery searching for a red 2006 Nissan Frontier located the vehicle in the parking lot of the Speedway station off Genesis Rd.
They found a man sleeping inside the vehicle and when they awakened the man and asked him to exit the vehicle so they could repossess the pickup, the man started the truck's engine to leave.
Both men attempted to stop the man from leaving with one stepping in front of the vehicle and the other reaching inside. The vehicle sped off with the working hanging from the side, unable to free himself.
The vehicle struck a tractor-trailer rig in the parking lot as the pickup left and traveled to the overpass at I-40 where the man was able to free himself and landed onto the pavement.
The driver fled the scene and responding police found the tow company worker lying in the roadway, suffering from a dislocated shoulder, cuts and abrasions. He was taken to Cumberland Medical Center by ambulance, according to Ptl. Jordan Winningham's report.
Police later found the pickup truck parked as a residence on Wells Rd. and took Uchityl into custody.
He was placed under $65,000 bond and is to appear in General Sessions Court.
Michael Moser may be reached at mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com
