A Tennessee man took “throwing evidence out the window” to a whole new level. And trust us, this is not your typical high-speed pursuit story.
It’s just another Wednesday morning on Highway 70 near the sleepy town of Dowelltown, Tennessee.
That’s where police first spotted 39-year-old Tyson Gilbert of Cookeville, casually parked in the middle of traffic like it was his personal driveway.
But what happened next would leave even the most seasoned officers scratching their heads.
The Chase That Had Everything
When officers flipped on their lights to check on the situation, Gilbert decided this was his cue to star in his own version of “Fast and Furious” – except this chase would take a turn that not even Hollywood could dream up.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Johnson told radio station WLJE that Gilbert led officers on a two-county chase from Dowelltown to Lebanon.
But here’s where things get wild: somewhere during this pursuit, Gilbert made a decision that would make anyone cringe.
Let’s just say he took the phrase “cutting losses” way too literally.
A Shocking Discovery
“He was all over the road the whole time,” Johnson reported, describing the chaos. But the real shocker came when Gilbert made a quick detour onto Old Liberty Road.
“He opened his door. He was naked and covered in blood,” Johnson revealed. “He then shut his door and kept driving.”
Like any good action movie, this chase had multiple acts.
The Alexandria Police Department deployed spike strips, taking out Gilbert’s right front tire.
But our determined driver wasn’t done yet!
He kept pushing forward until another set of spikes in Wilson County finally disabled his left front tire.
Eventually, law enforcement managed to box in Gilbert’s Honda Accord, bringing this bizarre episode to an end.
According to a preliminary Tennessee Highway Patrol report sent to Newsweek, Gilbert was quickly taken into custody and rushed for medical attention for what they diplomatically called his “alleged self-inflicted wound.”
Gilbert said that he severed his own peņıs because he had been instructed to do so by voices coming from the radio, according to officers, as reported by local media.
The voices, he explained, told him he needed to do so in order to save the world.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The chase involved an all-star cast of law enforcement, including officials from Cookeville and Nashville THP branches, DeKalb County and Wilson County sheriff’s departments, and the Alexandria and Watertown police.
Gilbert was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital for treatment.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s public information office confirmed the chase details but stayed notably quiet about the more… extreme aspects of Gilbert’s reported injury, citing the ongoing investigation.
Editor’s Note:
This article was sourced from original reporting by Newsweek, radio station WLJE interviews, and Tennessee Highway Patrol preliminary reports.