GREAT EXCUSE FOR A CAR CRASH

USPA NEWS - A man claimed he woke up in the back seat of his car and thought someone was driving his vehicle. The man then said he began strangling the driver from behind. As a result, the vehicle went off the road and into a river.

On November 7th, 2014, Joseph Lee Richeson claimed he fell asleep in the back seat of his vehicle, and woke up about five o´clock in the morning. After Richeson awoke, he thought someone was driving his car, but couldn't be sure. Nonetheless, Richeson said he began strangling the unknown driver. Richeson stated as he was strangling the man from behind that may have been driving, they drove off Highway 20, in Benton County, Washington, and down a riverbank. The vehicle went into the Willamette River and became submerged. Richeson said he was able to escape from the vehicle, but didn´t think the strangled man he thought was driving made it out of the vehicle.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office, Corvallis Police Department, Oregon State Police, Corvallis Fire Department, and Albany Fire Department Dive Team were dispatched to the scene and found the submerged vehicle. Rescue personnel searched the vehicle, but did not find anyone in the vehicle, or in the vicinity. The vehicle was then pulled from the river.

Upon further investigation by Benton County Sheriff´s Detectives, Richeson admitted he fabricated the story, that in fact, he was driving the vehicle when it went into the river. Richeson consented to a breath alcohol test approximately eight hours after the crash occurred, and had a .07 blood alcohol reading. Richeson was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, and Initiating a False Report, but a darn good false report.