Police: Driver crashes to avoid ‘pink elephant;’ gets 7th DUI

A man who told state police he swerved to avoid an elephant in the roadway when he crashed his car on I-295 in Delaware has been arrested and charged with his seventh DUI offense.

Delaware State Police said Samuel Phipps, 31, of New Castle, admitted he had been smoking marijuana dipped in PCP, also known as wet, before getting behind the wheel of a red 1998 Land Rover Friday night.

Phipps was southbound on I-295 when he ran off the road and hit the left lane guardrail near Route 141.

"The trooper who responded to the scene of the accident found that Phipps appeared to be impaired," a police statement said. "Phipps told the trooper that the accident was a result of . . . swerving to avoid an elephant he observed running in the path of his vehicle."

Phipps, charged with seventh DUI offense as well as driving without insurance, was committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $21,000 secured bond, police said.