Nude Man, Claiming to be Jesus, Causes Five-Car Pileup on I-95

A nude man "yelling that he was Jesus" around the northbound Darien Service Plaza helped trigger a five-vehicle pile-up early this morning on Interstate 95, 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 Darien Police Sgt. Jeremiah Marron.

The drama 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 caught up with him around exit 16 in Norwalk, 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 traveling 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.

Firefighters from Norwalk and Wesport responded to the scene at 5:27 a.m. to find the driver of the truck trapped in the thoroughly mangled cab, according to Westport Assistant Fire Chief Robert Yost. Initially, only the driver's elbow could be reached.

Norwalk Rescue Company 2 went to work on the underside of the truck, while Westport Rescue Company 3 was assigned to gain access to the driver on the side by the tree. Both companies worked for hours to untangle the man, using almost every available tool from both teams.

As metal was cut and peeled away from the driver, Norwalk paramedics were able to crawl into the cab and administer medical treatment. Heavy truck wreckers were brought to the scene to assist in stabilizing and lifting the vehicle, giving rescuers better access.

All the while, first responders were working as 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. Norwalk paramedics were in contact with the trauma surgeon to coordinate pre-hospital medical treatment of the driver.

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

State police are investigating the incident, and it wasn't known this afternoon if the naked man would face charges.