Naked Man Claiming He's Jesus Triggers Five-Vehicle Wreck on I-95

A nude man "yelling that he was Jesus" around the northbound Darien Service Plaza in Connecticut helped trigger a five-vehicle pile-up on I-95 early Saturday morning, according to police.

Though the wreck necessitated an elaborate rescue of a tractor trailer driver and caused hours-long delays on I-95 north, the injuries sustained in the incident were "relatively minor," according Sgt. Jeremiah Marron of the Darien Police Department.

The episode began around 5 a.m., when police received a report of a man running around the Darien Service Plaza, screaming and claiming that he was Jesus. When the officers arrived on the scene, he jumped into his car and fled north down the highway, Marron said.

Darien, Norwalk, and state police units finally caught up with him around exit 16, but as they were apprehending the man, a curious driver who had begun veering toward the stopped vehicles swerved suddenly to correct his course.

At that point, a tractor trailer driving near the first vehicle braked and turned sharply, striking four cars before overturning and smashing into a tree. Marron said the wreck brought down an overhead highway sign and caused damage to several police cars.

As all the first responders were working, diesel fuel leaked from a ruptured tank, creating a fire hazard.

At 8:47 a.m.—more than three hours after the accident—the driver was finally removed from the vehicle and transported to Norwalk Hospital. 

His exact condition is unknown at this time, though Marron described his injuries as minor.

Connecticut State Police are handling the investigation of the incident. It was not immediately known whether the naked man would face charges.