Washington Mechanic Taken On Wild Ride By Customer
WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- If 33-year-old Damon Lemasters ever wants to turn in his screw driver at Big Fred's Garage to become a movie stuntman, he has all the right moves.
Tuesday afternoon, a customer known as "Chaz" from West Virginia showed up at the North Main Street garage in Washington, Pa., to get his Chevy Silverado. They'd rebuilt the drive train to the tune of $1,500.
"He asked to go for a ride in it - make sure everything was okay."
Damon made it clear that he had to go along and tossed Chaz the keys. That's when it started getting weird. Then Damon's instincts took over.
"I could tell he wasn't going to unlock the passenger door," he said. "I hopped in the bed."
Burning rubber out of the lot with Damon doing his darnedest to hold on in the truck bed, they were off tearing through town down Route 40 onto Interstate 79 South.
"I was pounding on the roof and asking people to call 9-1-1 to get him to stop!"
That's about the time Damon's boss, Fred Shaffer, got a call from Chaz.
"And he was saying, 'Your crazy, lunatic mechanic is in the bed of my truck!'"
They traveled all the way to Waynesburg at speeds of 80 mph. Wind whipped and bruised, Damon went for a big Hollywood finish.
"So I laid on my back and kicked out the back window!"
He climbed through the shattered glass into the passenger seat.
"He was on the phone with the police and he was like 'Shhhhh!' Trying like everything's fine."
Police told Chaz to pull over and he did. Damon, a father of two, knows now he took a chance.
"I just didn't want him to get away that easy," he said.
Damon's actions don't surprise Big Fred a bit.
"Well, he is from West Finley and he's a redneck..."
City of Washington police are investigating and charges are being considered against the driver of the truck.
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