Drunk man slams into house and runs over propane tank before fleeing scene, crashing

James Carl Reed, 79, of Berryville, Arkansas, is being held in the Ozark County Jail on a $2,500 cash-only bond in connection with a case in which he is charged with first-degree property damage, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage exceeding $1,000 and trespassing. A bond reduction hearing was scheduled for Tuesday. Results of the hearing were not available at presstime. 

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Vesa Phelan, paired with information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 4:31 p.m. Dec. 4, 2023, Reed came onto the property of the victim off County Road 649 in Theodosia uninvited after being told he was not welcome there two days prior.

The victim reportedly asked him to leave again when she saw him, and Reed reportedly backed down the driveway, running his 2001 Dodge Ram truck into the victim’s house, damaging it significantly. 

He then backed up again and ran into the propane tank at the house, knocking it off the blocks it sat on. 

Reed then reportedly fled the scene. He was found on P Highway after rolling the truck. He was not wearing a seatbelt. He was taken by air ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Springfield for serious injuries and charged with DWI by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.