DWI Suspect: My Dog Was Driving, Not Me

A deputy in Manatee County, Florida, saw a speeding car Wednesday night and pursued it for a few blocks as it ran through at least two ditches and ultimately crashed into a house, the Bradenton Herald reports. The alleged driver, 26-year-old Reliford Cooper III, fled on foot, ended up at a church, and was forced back outside by churchgoers and arrested. And yet the story gets even weirder: Cooper (who, authorities say, smelled like booze and burnt pot) told deputies, "I wasn't driving that car. My dog was driving that car," according to a report from the sheriff's office. Apparently not believing his story, authorities jailed him on multiple charges ranging from DWI to resisting arrest. Classic line from the Orlando Sentinel: "The arrest report does not state whether or not a dog was located at the scene of the crash." (More weird crimes stories.)