Local News in Brief : Trucker Pleads Innocent
A Texas truck driver pleaded innocent Tuesday to 20 charges stemming from a driving rampage May 18 that left damaged cars and shaken drivers along 40 miles of freeways before the truck was stopped in Hollywood.
Charley Tom Lee was arraigned on 16 charges of assault with a deadly weapon (a truck) and four charges of vandalism, possessing amphetamines, possessing a hypodermic syringe and carrying a loaded firearm.
Lee’s truck allegedly rammed about 30 cars. The trucker was chased by a dozen California Highway Patrol officers, a police helicopter and a canine unit before he was pulled over on the Hollywood Freeway. A prosecutor said Lee told police, “He was having fun and didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
Lee, 25, was ordered to appear Aug. 10 for a pretrial conference.
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