Crime & Safety

Details Emerge On How Zombie-Fearing Man Stole Big Rig That Crashed In Temecula

The accused driver had originally been a passenger in the rig.

The zombie-fearing man who stole a big rig at the Rainbow scales and then crashed it in Temecula was originally a passenger in the vehicle, the California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday.

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But Hartline had been a passenger in the big rig owned by North Carolina-based RC Scott Transport of Tennessee, according to new information released Wednesday by CHP Officer Nathan Baer.

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"The original driver, Daniel Martinez, was driving from Tennessee to San Diego to pick up strawberries," Baer explained. "From San Diego, Martinez was to head to Maryland."

Martinez stopped at the Rainbow scales and asked Hartline to stay in the rig while he got out and made equipment some adjustments, according to Baer. With Martinez out of the vehicle, Hartline got in the driver's seat and headed northbound on the 15 Freeway.

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Martinez, who lives in Tennessee, didn't originally tell officers that Hartline was in the truck because he was not suppose to have passengers, Baer said.

As Hartline made his getaway up the freeway, his driving was reported to be erratic.

"Hartline thought Zombies were chasing him and [were] clinging to the truck," Baer said. "Hartline swerved the truck side to side to shake the Zombies off."

Confirmation on whether Hartline was under the influence at the time of the incident is still pending, Baer said.

The frantic driving triggered a series of freeway crashes.  The first happened when Hartline merged left from the #4 lane and collided with a 2001 Toyota Tacoma driven by 22-year-old San Jacinto resident Kyle Schlosser, who sustained moderate injuries. Schlosser’s passenger Sarah Small, 19, of Hemet was seriously injured. Both victims were transported to area hospitals, according to a CHP report.

As a result of that collision, there was a chain reaction of more crashes: Schlosser’s truck rammed into a 2006 Toyota 4Runner driven by Temecula resident Anne Lennala, 56, and a 2006 Mercedes Benz driven by 39-year-old Timothy Varga, also of Temecula, was also involved, the CHP reported. Lennala sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center; Varga sustained minor injuries, according to the CHP report.

Rather than stop, Hartline continued northbound, but moments later collided with a 2009 Ford Taurus driven by Kristine Thrower, a 42-year-old Las Vegas resident, and a 2000 Honda Accord driven by Dio Nomany, 49, of Lompoc, the CHP reported. Thrower and her passenger, Rosanna O’Gorman, 42, also of Las Vegas, sustained moderate injuries and were transported to Inland Valley Medical Center. Nomany sustained minor injuries, according to the CHP.

Hartline finally lost control of the rig, causing it to overturn on to its side, blocking all four lanes of traffic just north of Temecula Parkway, the CHP reported.

Hartline was transported to Rancho Springs Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries and was later booked into Southwest Detention Center, the CHP reported. According to jail records, he is currently being held on suspicion of taking a vehicle without an owner’s consent and receiving known stolen property.

"We will add more charges," Baer said.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATE ON CHARGES FILED.]

According to the CHP report, the trailers hauled by the stolen Freightliner were fully loaded with strawberries that spilled onto the freeway during the crash. It took seven hours before the freeway was able to be reopened.


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