Naked I-71 runner: My brakes went out

The man accused of fleeing naked down Interstate 71 after striking seven vehicles is claiming brake failure caused the crash.

Tracy Martin, 45, appeared in court Saturday morning in a wheelchair. The seven-vehicle crash occurred Wednesday on I-71 at the Montgomery-Blue Ash border and sent six people to the hospital, including Martin. Witnesses called the incident one of the most bizarre and chilling things they have ever seen.

Martin is accused of aggravated vehicular assault, vehicular assault, resisting arrest and operating a vehicle under the influence. His bond is set at $600,000.

"We're not sure what he was under the influence of, but he was under something," said Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Kevin Long.

Officials said that around 6 p.m. Wednesday, Martin was driving a pickup on the shoulder of southbound I-71 when he first sideswiped four cars. He then rear-ended a Mercedes, causing it to spin out of control, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Martin's truck ended up striking a median wall, which caused it to overturn on top of a Jeep.

An occupant of the Jeep crushed by Martin's truck and a second person were flown by helicopter to University of Cincinnati Medical Center with serious injuries, according to officials. Three occupants from other vehicles in the crash were taken to Bethesda North with serious injuries.

By Thursday evening, only Martin and the passenger of the Jeep remained in area hospitals. The other occupants of the vehicles involved in the accident, including the driver of the Jeep, had all been released after treatment, officials said.

Long said patrol officials spoke with family of the passenger most critically injured in the accident and that the woman was "doing better" on Friday after a recent surgery.

After the crash, Martin, of Chagrin Falls, got out of his truck and began running southbound on the roadway "completely naked," patrol officials said.

"It was just the most bizarre thing I had ever seen," said Mindy Banks, who was in a car traveling northbound on I-71 at the time. "I was videotaping when they Tased the man right outside my car. The Taser did not faze him."

Officials said that a trooper caught up with Martin about a mile south of the crash and took him into custody with help from an off-duty Hamilton County sheriff's deputy.

"I saw the officer pull out his night stick and hit him three or four times," Banks said. "That didn't faze him either. The officer and another driver eventually were able to get him under control."

Martin was taken to Bethesda North and initially admitted on a psychological hold.

"We brought in a drug recognition expert who is usually able to identify a drug classification or a drug family that a patient may have taken," said patrol Sgt. Matt Beccaccio. "However, this evaluation was never able to be completed at the hospital. We have a sample pending at the OSHP crime lab."

Witness said Martin drove onto southbound I-71 near Ohio 741, Beccaccio said. They told Beccaccio that Martin was throwing "everything" out of his truck windows. One witness said he threw a large air compressor out of the window.

Beccaccio said most witnesses reported that Martin was driving without clothing the entire time.

The whole incident was witnessed by a trooper, who saw Martin pass just before his truck began to strike a vehicle where the shoulder of I-71 narrows as the highway passes under the Interstate 275 overpass.

Officials said several off-duty nurses stopped to lend assistance.

"It went from somewhat entertaining to an absolutely chilling scene in seconds," Banks said. "I cannot believe there were not fatalities. There were people stuck and calling from cars. I literally got chills."

Debris from the incident littered the highway for more than quarter mile. Southbound lanes were shut down just north of the I-275 junction for more than an hour as authorities investigated the scene.

The Ohio Department of Transportation, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, the Blue Ash Police Department and the Montgomery Police Department assisted at the scene of the crash, which remains under investigation.