Imperial, Mo. (KFMO) - Around 5:30 a.m. to 5:40 a.m. Friday morning, a homeowner in the 5000 block of Scenic View Acres in Imperial started his 2006 Ford F-350 in his driveway. He then went back inside his house. While inside, he heard the vehicle’s engine rev as it was being stolen.
A deputy was dispatched to the scene at 5:48 a.m. and learned through investigation that a white man and a white woman were seen getting into the truck and driving away.
Around 7:40 a.m., the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was notified of a pickup truck that crashed into Glaize Creek near Old Highway M and Chasteen Lane in Imperial. The same deputy who handled the stolen vehicle report responded to the crash and recognized the truck in the creek as having been stolen earlier in the day.
Fire and rescue crews pulled the 28-year-old male driver from Imperial and the 28-year-old female passenger from New Haven, Mo., out of the vehicle and transported them both with non-life-threatening injuries. The man was taken by ambulance, and the woman was airlifted.
During an inventory search of the truck, a handgun was located that did not belong to the owner of the truck.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is applying for charges of Tampering - 1st Degree, Driving While Revoked, and Felony Possession of a Firearm against the man. They are also applying for a charge of Tampering - 2nd Degree against the woman.