Troopers arrest man for removing vehicle identification info after crash

A Jasper man was arrested after an investigation determined he left the scene of a crash Sunday morning.

On Sunday, January 17, Troopers Brock Werne and Josh McBeth responded to a report of a vehicle found over a steep embankment north of the Haysville Bridge on US 231. Troopers found nobody around the crashed 1992 Ford Explorer. They determined the license plate and vehicle identification number (VIN) plate had been removed from the vehicle.

Troopers continued their investigation on Wednesday by speaking with the registered owner of the vehicle. They learned that the owner had loaned the vehicle to 35-year-old David Siguenza Contreras of Jasper.

Contreras allegedly lost control of the vehicle Sunday morning, crashed over the embankment, and left the scene because it was cold outside. Troopers also learned Contreras removed the VIN and registration plates.

Contreras was placed into custody and lodged in the Martin County Jail without incident. He was charged with a Level 5 felony count of removing a vehicle identification number, a Class B misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of a property damage crash and a Class C misdemeanor count of operating a motor vehicle while never licensed.