Utahn Reports Truck Stolen After Losing It While Drunk

A local man is in jail for allegedly filing a false insurance claim after losing his truck while intoxicated.

Joseph Michael Harrington, 41, of Washington City, faces one second-degree felony count of filing a false or fraudulent insurance claim, along with two misdemeanor charges for providing a written false statement and for reporting a fraudulent emergency to police, fire or medical, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest.

The incident began on Oct. 5 when St. George Police officers were dispatched to one of the lookouts on Red Hills Parkway near 900 East shortly after 1 a.m. on a report of a carjacking involving a Toyota Tundra.

At the time of the incident, the man told police he had been sitting in his pickup when an unknown person hit him over the head with a rock before taking his vehicle.

He provided vague details of the incident in the report later filed with police.