Sheriff Jeff Johnson said that at 7:55 p.m. Feb. 2, deputies observed the camper being improperly towed as the subjects drove down Hwy. 53. 

“The camper was extended, along with the slide in the outward position,” Johnson said. “The camper was not connected by a tow hitch, but was attached to the tow vehicle by a rope which extended from the camper hitch, inside the vehicle and tied around the head rest.”

Johnson said the camper was tilted up at such an angle it was causing sparks to shower underneath the bumper.

Deputies initiated a traffic stop and the passenger, Damian Ashton Berryman, 22, of Gainesville, fled the scene on foot. After a brief pursuit he was taken into custody.

While deputies were securing Berryman, the driver, Reginald Edmond Crawley, 46, of Williamson, also fled on foot. After a search of the area, Crawley was also taken into custody.

Johnson said an investigation revealed that Crawley and Berryman had taken the camper from the old Kroger parking lot.

Berryman was charged with misdemeanor charges of theft by taking and obstruction. He was released Feb. 3 on a promise to appear in court.  

Crawley was charged with misdemeanor counts of theft by taking and obstruction of an officer as well as driving with a suspended license, unsecure load and driving with no tail lights or turn signals.

Crawley is still in custody.