POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Assault charges were filed Tuesday morning against a June patron of Brick's Off Road Park, who allegedly was intoxicated when his pickup ran a stop sign near the park and struck a local woman's car, leaving her paralyzed.
Jeremy S. Sykes, who was among the estimated crowd of between 14,000 and 15,000 people at the park's Trucks Gone Wild event June 4-7, was charged with two Class C felonies of second-degree assault by Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ted Thompson.
A warrant was issued for the 34-year-old Dyersburg, Tenn., man, whose bond will be set at $30,000 cash or surety when he is arrested.
The complaint filed with the court alleges on June 5, Sykes, "operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and acted with criminal negligence in that (he) was speeding and failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with another vehicle," and caused physical injury to Lori S. Garner, who was the driver of the other vehicle.
Garner, 50, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was seriously injured in the crash, which damaged her vertebra and spinal cord and left her a quadriplegic.
The second count accuses Sykes of causing physical injury to Becky Farrow, who was a passenger in his vehicle. The 46-year-old Dyersburg woman also was seriously injured in the crash.
The crash occurred at about 5:45 p.m. June 5 at the intersection of Highway F and County Road 484 and was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
When patrol Sgt. Randy Dye arrived at the scene, he reportedly found a 2007 Chevrolet pickup off the east side of Highway F on its side.
"There was a male and a female lying in the ditch in front of the truck, with apparent injuries to their face and head area," Dye said in his probable-cause statement.
The man and woman were identified as Sykes and Farrow.
Dye said he also found a 2010 Kia Optima on the east side of the road.
The driver, identified as Garner, was "being assisted by a citizen with possible neck injuries, by stabilizing her neck and head, until paramedics took over," said Dye.
The initial investigation, according to Dye, indicated the Chevrolet truck was eastbound on County Road 484, while the Kia was northbound on Highway F.
"The Chevrolet truck apparently failed to stop at the stop sign on County Road (484) and pulled into the path of the Kia passenger car," said Dye, who contacted the truck's occupants, Sykes and Farrow.
Farrow, Dye said, reported she was not driving the truck at the time of the crash.
"Sykes stated he was not driving as well, but when I told him Farrow said she was not driving the truck and that left him as the driver, Sykes stated: 'OK,'" Dye said. "While talking with Sykes, I could smell a very strong odor of intoxicants on his breath.
"His speech was also very slurred and confused."
When Dye asked Sykes if he had been drinking, "he stated, 'Yea, earlier,'" Dye said.
Sykes, he said, had a large amount of blood on his mouth and nose area, while Farrow had little, if any blood, on her facial area.
"Cpl. (Corey) Tucker observed blood on the steering wheel of the truck," Dye said. "Sykes also had what appeared to be possibly a seat-belt abrasion on his chest, which indicated he was sitting in the driver's seat.
"It was later determined Sykes was not wearing a seat belt."
Dye said he asked Sykes to submit to a portable-breath test, which "indicated his blood-alcohol content was in excess of .08" percent.
Sykes, he said, was unable to open his eyes "due to being swollen shut, so no other field-sobriety tests were possible."
Dye said he arrested Sykes on suspicion of second-degree assault at 6:27 p.m. and read him his rights, as well as Missouri implied consent.
When Dye requested Sykes submit to a blood test, "Sykes refused by saying 'No, sir,'" said Dye, who indicated all three injured persons were taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment.
While Cpl. Terry Lee stood by with Sykes at the hospital, Dye said, he applied for and received a search warrant through the Butler County prosecuting attorney's office to obtain a "blood specimen" from Sykes.
At about 8:30 p.m., Dye said, he served the search warrant on Sykes at the hospital.
A blood specimen, Dye said, was drawn by a registered nurse from Sykes' left hand at 8:38 p.m. The specimen, he said, subsequently was placed into evidence.
"Due to Sykes' serious injuries, he was turned over to the care of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center," Dye said.
The blood specimen reportedly was sent to a patrol laboratory for analysis.
A recently-returned lab report indicates Sykes allegedly had a blood-alcohol content of .102 percent plus/minus .05 percent.
As part of the patrol's investigation, the crash was reconstructed by Tucker, who completed a report regarding his findings.
Based on his examination of the crash scene's physical evidence and the truck and utilizing the information from the truck's "airbag control module," Tucker said, he found the crash occurred as the truck "traveled on Butler County Road 484 without stopping or slowing for the stop sign.
"(The truck) was continuing straight through the intersection at the time of the crash onto a dead-end portion" of the county road.
Based on the data obtained from the truck's "airbag control module, (Sykes) did not make any attempt to stop for the stop sign at the intersection," Tucker said.
According to the analysis of the evidence, Tucker said, the conclusions described and illustrated in his report "indicate this crash was the result of the actions of (Sykes)."
After allegedly failing to stop at the stop sign, Tucker said, Sykes "failed to yield to the northbound" car.
"(Sykes) was from out of state and most likely intended to stop and make a right turn onto Route F at this location," said Tucker, who indicated Sykes may not have been familiar with the "local roads."
Data, Tucker said, showed the truck's speed was "actually increasing as it approached the intersection and does not indicate (it) was on its brakes anytime in the six seconds prior to the crash."
Tucker said Sykes and Farrow were not wearing their seat belts, which might have lessened their injuries.
Garner, he said, was wearing her seat belt, and her driver's side airbag deployed.
"(Sykes') consumption of alcohol prior to the crash may have been a contributing factor," Tucker said.