A night of dangerous driving ended in an arrest Thursday evening after a young driver allegedly tore through a local parking lot, denied owning his own truck, and attempted to hide out in a gas station bathroom.

Officers with the Crossville Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to Obed Plaza around 9:44 p.m. on July 23 following multiple reports of a white Dodge Ram 2500 driving recklessly. Witnesses near Wingstop reported seeing the vehicle speeding through the nearby Walmart parking lot, doing burnouts, and spinning donuts.

Upon arrival, officers discovered the oversized pickup truck parked haphazardly across an aisle and multiple parking spaces—with its keys left lying directly on the hood.

A deputy initially confronted a man in the area matching the description of the driver, later identified as Jon Johnson. When questioned, Johnson claimed he had not been driving and insisted he had no idea who owned the truck sitting just feet away. He then walked into a nearby Murphy USA gas station.

When officers followed Johnson into the business, a store clerk reported that a man had entered moments earlier and went straight into the restroom. Surveillance footage from the gas station confirmed Johnson was indeed the driver who had just parked the Dodge Ram and walked inside. As Johnson emerged from the restroom, he ignored commands to stop and was promptly detained by deputies.

Responding officers noted that Johnson smelled strongly of alcohol, had slurred speech, was stumbling, and repeatedly claimed he was going to throw up. When asked to perform field sobriety tests, Johnson offered a series of excuses, claiming he couldn’t walk a straight line even while sober due to ADHD and a recent injury where he was hit in the head with a 2×10 wooden board.

Johnson agreed to a Preliminary Breath Test, which registered a failure for the presence of alcohol.

While being transported to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office for booking, Johnson vomited in the back of the patrol car, claiming he had the flu. Officers obtained a search warrant for his blood, which was drawn by city fire personnel at the intake facility later that night due to his high level of intoxication.

Johnson was officially booked and charged with underage driving while impaired. Blood evidence was secured at the Crossville Police Department, and the case has been marked cleared by arrest.