Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley reports that on January 31, 2017, at 3:00 a.m., deputies recovered two stolen flatbed car trailers and arrested Springfield resident, 28 -year- old Ryan Howard Pruett.
Deputies were responding to a report of two stolen flatbed trailers in the area of Kirk Avenue in Brownsville. One trailer was reported to have a large Cummins engine on the trailer and the other was empty. Shortly after the trailers were reported stolen, deputies located a black Jeep Cherokee towing a trailer with a large Cummins engine loaded on the trailer. The Jeep Cherokee was leaving the city of Brownsville, eastbound on Northern Drive. Before the deputy could activate his emergency lights, the Jeep Cherokee and trailer loaded with the engine drove off of the road into a field. The operator, Mr. Pruett, attempted to negotiate a corner at a speed that was too fast for the heavy load his vehicle was towing.
After further investigation, the second stolen trailer was later located and recovered sitting next to the Crawfordsville Market in the city of Crawfordsville.
Mr. Pruett was arrested and transported to the Linn County Jail where he was charged with two counts of Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Theft I.
This investigation is continuing.