A Clinton man is accused of stealing a car from a friend and then crashing it in April 2020, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged 28-year-old Thomas X. Hastings of Clinton in Island County Superior Court July 12 with taking a motor vehicle without permission.

According to a report on the incident, a deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a rollover accident on Bayview Road. The car had struck a tree and was in bushes about 80 feet off the shoulder of the road.

The deputy observed that a Langley police officer had to repeat information about a breath test to Hastings, who was the driver of the car, about six times. Hastings’ breath smelled of intoxicants and he had slurred speech, the deputy wrote.

When asked what had happened, Hastings said, “Bright light, boom,” according to the report.

Hastings was taken into custody on warrants while a state trooper investigated the possible DUI case.

The owner of the car later told the deputy that Hastings did not have permission to drive the car. The owner had loaned the car to a friend. The friend told the deputy that Hastings had asked to drive it, but he refused because Hastings was “heavily intoxicated,” the report states.