With his truck on fire and wheels missing, he drove on

An Ocean County man has been charged with driving while intoxicated and other offenses after crashing into a tree and continuing to operate his box truck while it was on fire and missing its front tires, police said.

Michael T. Newmon, 36, of Manchester drove the smoking truck for about 15 miles before officers pulled him over in Lakehurst early Saturday, police said.

Flames were shooting from underneath the carriage of the truck and smoke was rising as Newmon drove, partially hanging outside the cab window, about 3 a.m., police said.

The truck had a shattered windshield, and tree branches were entangled in it. The front tires were nowhere to be seen. Newmon was driving on the rims, police said. Earlier, he had crashed into a tree at the intersection of Routes 70 and 72 in Burlington County but continued into Ocean County, police said.

Two Lakehurst officers stopped him on Brown Avenue near Route 37 and arrested him on charges that also include reckless driving, careless driving, unsafe tires and failure to exhibit documents, police said.

Newmon was later released from custody pending a mandatory court appearance.

– Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman