Police: Simpsonville Man Faces Charge After Allegedly Stealing, Crashing Truck

A Simpsonville man is wanted by police after he allegedly took his cousin's pickup truck and later crashed the vehicle into a utility pole, a Simpsonville Police report said.

Police said they are seeking 19-year-old Phillip Justin Bridges of 254 Derrick Lane on a breach of trust charge after he allegedly took his cousin's 200 Dodge Ram 2500 last week.

The victim said he had allowed the suspect to borrow the truck for a specific period of time, but that the suspect never returned it and didn't return phone calls when he failed to show up on time, the report said.

State troopers later found the truck on April 19 crashed into a utility pole in a field off Highway 418, the report said.

The victim and his girlfriend told police they were able to locate the suspect at a friend's house, the report said. They told police Bridges admitted to taking the truck, but said he told them he didn't contact his cousin for fear of making him mad, the report said.

Then, the report added, the suspect suddenly took off running, dropping his cell phone in the process.

Based on information the victim said he received from two females, and a text message on the dropped phone, the victim said he believed his cousin might have been trying to sell the truck or the tools inside it, the report said.

"In the text message, Justin stated he had something that he wanted to get rid of and offered the person to split the money he received for the item 50/50," the report said. However, the report added, the text didn't specify what the suspect intended to sell.

Police said the suspect still had not been located or apprehended as of Friday evening.