A Switz City man is accused of taking a car without permission, going on a joyride in the middle of the night then crashing the car, leaving it on its side in the middle of a county road. He was arrested early Saturday.

Alton James Stone, 22, of Switz City, was arrested by Deputy Zachary Goad of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department early Saturday, February 15.

Deputy Goad responded around 3:40 a.m. Saturday after dispatch got a call from a woman who reported Alton Stone, her ex-boyfriend, had taken the keys to her vehicle, a black 2011 Dodge Avenger, then took off in the vehicle and wrecked it.

When Deputy Goad talked to the woman, he learned she lived in Bloomfield but her brother and Stone lived together in Switz City and her brother had permission to have the vehicle in Switz City so he could use it for work. She explained Stone took the keys and vehicle in the middle of the night and now her car was on its side in the middle of a county road. She said she does not allow Stone to drive her vehicles because he tears them up.

When Deputy Goad arrived in the area, he found both Stone and the woman’s brother walking north on County Road 600 West towards Switz City.

The brother was interviewed and said he was asleep when the keys were taken and the car belonged to his sister so he would not give Stone permission to drive the car. He also said he knew Stone had been drinking earlier in the night so he would not have given him permission to drive anyway. He said he woke up at 2:30 a.m. when Stone called him and told him he had wrecked the car and it was on its side. The brother had walked out to the location of the wreck and was walking back to town with Stone when the deputy arrived.

When Deputy Goad interviewed Stone, Stone said he knew he didn’t have permission from the vehicle owner to drive the car but he claimed he got permission from the brother to drive the car and admitted he was “joyriding” when a deer ran out in front of him. He said he swerved and the vehicle overturned. Stone was not injured in the crash. Stone was taken into custody.

When Deputy Goad found the car, it was in the middle of the CR 600 West, resting on the driver’s side. A tow truck was called.

Stone was booked in to the Greene County Jail around 5:30 a.m. His bond was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of late Monday afternoon, he had not yet posted bond and remained in jail.

Stone is facing a preliminary charge of auto theft, a Level 6 felony.