Update (March 31, 2026): The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has released body-worn camera video from the March 27 pursuit. This article has been updated to include the footage.
An Indiana man apparently decided that if you’re going to make terrible decisions, you might as well go big, steal a whole truck, and make it everyone’s problem.
Randall Baker, 41, of Evansville, is now facing a very long list of charges after allegedly swiping a beer delivery truck from a liquor store parking lot at approximately 3:07 p.m. on March 27, according to authorities.
According to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Baker did not quietly accept the consequences of this life choice. Instead, he refused to stop when law enforcement tried to pull him over, turning what could have been a relatively tidy arrest into a full-on pursuit involving a semi-truck.
Deputies deployed stop sticks in an attempt to bring things to a peaceful conclusion. Authorities say Baker then allegedly steered the semi toward a deputy and struck a sheriff’s patrol vehicle before the truck left the roadway and came to rest in a field.
At this point, if you’re keeping score at home: stolen semi, police chase, crashed into a field, hit a cop car, still sitting in the truck. Deputies eventually had to deploy PepperBall rounds to convince Baker that the ride was, in fact, over.
Watch the Pursuit and Crash Unfold
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The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has now released body-worn camera video from the pursuit, offering a clearer look at how quickly the situation escalated once Baker refused to stop. The footage shows deputies attempting to bring the stolen truck under control before the pursuit ends with the reported crash and the vehicle leaving the roadway.
Authorities say the incident concluded after stop sticks were deployed, followed by the collision with a deputy’s patrol vehicle, and the truck ultimately came to rest in a field. The deputy was not struck and was not injured.
Video like this tends to cut through the noise. This wasn’t a minor misunderstanding or a low-speed incident; it was a multi-ton commercial vehicle being driven unpredictably, with deputies forced to react in real time.
The Charges, The BAC, and the Baffling Life Choices
Baker was transported to Deaconess Hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the crash.
He is facing preliminary charges including attempted murder, auto theft, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement, reckless operation of a tractor-trailer, and operating while intoxicated. The deputy whose vehicle was struck was not injured.
For car enthusiasts who spend their weekends carefully selecting the right tire pressure and debating suspension setups, Baker’s approach to operating a commercial vehicle was, shall we say, lacking in technical finesse. There’s a reason tractor-trailer certifications exist, and this incident is a pretty compelling argument for the whole system.
Baker was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail, where presumably the beverage selection is considerably more limited.