MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new charge of theft has been added to the list of charges against a Nashville truck driver arrested in Millington after the city’s public safety director said the man intentionally drove the cab of an 18-wheeler into a Kroger store.
Clarence Carter, 45, was originally charged with two counts of aggravated assault, vandalism, and resisting arrest. A charge of theft was added after investigators determined the semi he was driving had been stolen the afternoon of the crash, according to court records.
Carter is currently in the Shelby County Jail on $165,000 bond. A mental evaluation was ordered during a court hearing April 11.
In a news release, Millington officials said the city’s police and fire department responded to the Kroger in the 8000 block of Highway 51 about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
Investigators said Carter was accused of going into the store and “creating a disturbance.” They said he left, got into the cab of an 18-wheeler, then drove the truck through the front entrance of the store.
The city officials said Carter was trying to leave when police arrived, and he was removed from the truck and taken into custody.
Investigators said several employees were in the store at the time, but no one was injured.
According to the police affidavit, police said when they asked Carter why he drove into the store, he told them that Kroger owes him money. The affidavit said employees told Carter he would need to come back the next day because the store was closed, and that's when he left but then drove the truck into the front.
They said Millington and Shelby County fire personnel had to remove the truck’s roof to get it out of the building.
The city said the damaged area of the store was secured and Kroger was open for business the next day.
According to the affidavit for the theft charge, the semi had been reported stolen about 4:30 p.m. on the afternoon before the crash. The affidavit said the theft was caught on video.
