A man accused in late August of driving his truck through a hardy banana grove in Worthington, destroying 10 banana trees, has been arrested again. This time he’s accused of driving his truck into a water hydrant, causing considerable damage to the truck and the hydrant, resulting in water spewing onto the highway last Wednesday.

Kevin Andrew Turpin, 57, of Worthington, was arrested by Deputy Davis Aerne of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department late Wednesday, November 13, following an investigation by Deputy Aerne into an accident.

Deputy Aerne was on duty last Wednesday when a Worthington resident called the sheriff’s department at 9:38 p,m. saying a blue extended-cab Chevy pickup truck was off the roadway on Terre Haute Road, revving the engine like they were trying to get the truck to move but it wouldn’t go anywhere. The resident said they could smell tire smoke and the truck may have been in a crash because it had front-end damage.

Deputy Aerne responded and found a blue GMC pickup with front-end damage in front of a residence on Terre Haute Road. The truck was in the roadway blocking the eastbound traffic lane. The front and rear tires on the passenger side were flat and the wheels were broken. The running board on the passenger side was missing.

A records check revealed the truck belonged to Kevin Turpin.

Deputy Aerne attempted to locate the driver in the area but only found things that appeared to have been damaged by the truck. He reported finding a broken water hydrant in the roadway in front of a residence on South Commercial Street/State Road 67 with water flowing onto the highway. In addition to tire tracks in the area of the hydrant, he found a running board that matched the one on the truck and a few other items.

After Eastern Heights arrived on the scene to handle the water situation, Deputy Aerne left to find Turpin and located him at his residence.

Turpin allegedly said he had a flat tire, caused by gravel, and did not have a spare. He said he left the truck and would go back down the next morning to get it. Deputy Aerne explained the truck was blocking traffic, was a road hazard, and had been towed. A portable breath test was administered to Turpin with results showing he was not over the legal limit.

Turpin was booked into jail around 11:30 p.m. with bond set at $500 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $50 and was released the next day.

Yesterday, Monday, November 18, when Turpin appeared in court for his initial hearing, he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a Class B misdemeanor.

Turpin may end up back in jail soon due to another case that’s pending against him.

A plea agreement had been reached in the previous case with the next hearing scheduled for December, but on the same day as his hearing in the latest case involving the broken hydrant, a petition to revoke his bond in a previous case was filed, approved, and a warrant issued for his arrest.

In the previous case, Turpin was arrested in late August and charged with felony criminal mischief. He was accused of driving the same blue pickup when he drove through a Worthington resident’s hardy banana grove and destroyed 10 banana trees.