TX Tow Company Employee Takes Wild Ride

Here's the San Marcos Record story:

A towing company employee wound up on what sounds like a wild ride early Saturday after he jumped into the back of a pickup truck fleeing the wrecker yard.

Police said the 33-year-old employee jumped into the bed of the Toyota Tundra as it crashed through a locked gate at Saucedo's Wrecker Service, then called 911 as the vehicle sped south on IH-35.

San Marcos Police Officer Todd Harrison pulled the truck over on the West Access Road south of Posey Road after following it at a high rate of speed, SMPD Sergeant Fred Wisener said.

The driver, 35-year-old Allen Kluth, was "taken out at gunpoint," and later charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, theft under $100,000 and criminal mischief under $1,500, Wisener said.

The Saucedo's employee told police he was "helping customers" when Kluth came to claim the Tundra, which had been towed. Wisener said Saucedo's wouldn't release the vehicle to Kluth because he "couldn't come up with sufficient proof of ownership," Wisener said.

Wisener said a female with Kluth asked to retrieve property from the Tundra and the employee was on the phone with his supervisor asking permission for that to happen when he "heard someone driving toward the gate."

The employee told police he ran to the scene and the truck hit him in the shoulder and leg, causing pain, though he'd tried to "get out of its way," Wisener said.

EMS checked the employee out but didn't take him to the hospital.

The arrest was made at 2:53 a.m. Wisener said "several officers" were involved.