Man arrested after crashing a vehicle into a retaining wall at Bedford Federal Savings Bank

BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested on Tuesday on a warrant stemming from an incident on July 1, 2022.

Police arrested 26-year-old Treston Sowders on charges of criminal mischief, leaving the scene of an accident, and criminal recklessness.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on that day at 11:35 a.m. Bedford Police officers were called to an wreck at Bedford Federal Savings Bank on 15th Street.

When police arrived, they found a blue Ford Ranger crashed into the dividing wall on the southeast side of the parking lot.

A bank employee told police she had witnessed a male standing next to the truck across K Street to the West in the alley behind the Elks building.

The male was standing in the driver’s side area of the vehicle with the door open. She then witnessed the male jam a stick into the vehicle against the gas pedal and let go of the vehicle. The vehicle took off at a high rate of speed toward the bank, crossed K Street, ramped the curb, and slammed into the divider wall. 

The employee did not see the male leave the area but was able to provide a description matching Sowders, who police said the truck was registered to.

Officers said they had numerous encounters with Sowders in the past week before this incident. Sowders has been exhibiting signs of mental distress and has been evaluated numerous times by area medical facilities, police said.

Officers said they later obtained surveillance footage from the bank that corroborated the witness’ account of events.

Police said the video showed Sowders jam a stick into the driver compartment, shift the truck into gear, and let go. Afterwards, he could be seen standing in the middle of the street for a moment and wandering off from the scene without checking the vehicle or speaking to anyone.  

The truck sustained substantial disabling damage and was towed from the scene by Mikel’s Wrecker  Service to be secured in their impound lot. There was some cosmetic damage to the wall and the landscaping in the area was destroyed. 

Officers began to search the area for Sowders and were able to locate him in the lobby of the Lawrence  County Jail, where he had laid on the ground and asked for an ambulance.

He was transported to Dunn Memorial Hospital where he underwent a psychological evaluation and was subsequently held on an Emergency Detention Order. 

The information was forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office and a warrant was issued for his arrest.