It’s not everyday that a drunk man without pants steals a dog and crashes a stolen dump truck into oncoming traffic.

Highway 20 just north of Oak Harbor was the scene of the bizarre and senseless accident last Friday afternoon.

One man was seriously injured, traffic was detoured four and a half hours, a dump truck and minivan were destroyed, and a 20-year-old Oak Harbor man was arrested on suspicion of multiple felony charges.

The suspect, Gerald Hooper, had been discharged from the Navy Wednesday after being charged with first-degree arson and residential burglary in an unusual Oak Harbor case, according to Detective Scott Witman of the Washington State Patrol. Naval Criminal Investigative Service is also investigating Hooper for medical record fraud and domestic assault, according to court records.

“It sounds like he’s kind of been on a downward spiral,” Witman said.

Witman reported that the recent incident began last Friday at about 1:30 p.m. when Hooper stole a black lab puppy from a Napoleon Drive residence. The homeowner had video from his security camera showing Hooper taking the six-month-old puppy from a kennel.

Hooper drove away in his Ford Taurus, Witman said, and crashed into the Saratoga gate of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. He wasn’t able to get through the gate into the base, according to a base spokesperson.

Next, Hooper and the dog, which he had apparently renamed “Ruff Ruff,” drove over to Golf Course Road and stole a dump truck, Witman said. Hooper took off his pants and underwear and left them in the car.

Ray Sullivan, owner of J & R Contracting of Oak Harbor, said a driver had momentarily left the dump truck unattended at a job site. He was driving back to the site when he saw the stolen dump truck, which had just driven over a rock retaining wall.

“I saw my dump truck go by me with a black lab in the driver’s seat, the smoke stack was bent over and it was going really fast,” he said. “I knew something was wrong.”

Hooper drove the dump truck northbound on Highway 20. According to Witman, Hooper crossed the centerline near Krieg Construction and struck an oncoming 2002 Dodge Caravan head-on and then struck a 1996 Honda Accord. The dump truck continued off the road to the left, striking trees and rupturing the fuel tank.

The driver of the Dodge Caravan, 61-year-old Ronald Felix of Marysville, was transported to Whidbey General Hospital for treatment. Witman said the man may have fractured bones in both his feet. His vehicle was totalled.

Jennifer Mittag, 25, of Oak Harbor was driving the Honda. She suffered minor injuries, Witman said, and was transported to the Navy hospital.

Witman said the dog was not injured. Sullivan said his $50,000 dump truck was a total loss.

Trooper Dave Martin was one of the many officers who responded to the scene. He said Hooper got out of the dump truck without any clothing from the waist down, but a truck driver passing by loaned him a pair of pants.

Witman said Hooper had minor injuries and was transported to Whidbey General Hospital for treatment. He appeared to be intoxicated, Witman said, and admitted to drinking a pitcher of beer and smoking marijuana.

“He appeared highly under the influence,” said Trooper Zach Casey, who arrested him at the hospital.

Hooper was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault and taking a motor vehicle without permission. Witman said he could also face charges of theft (of a dog), criminal trespass and burglary.

Witman said he didn’t know what Hooper’s motivation was or why he was half naked. He said Hooper apparently was upset about leaving the Navy and was having mental health problems.

According to a report written by a detective with the Island County Sheriff’s Office, Hooper claimed he had been raped at a motel in Oak Harbor by a man he met at McDonald’s. Oddly, Hooper had made the same allegation a month previous when he was arrested for arson.

In the arson case, Hooper was accused of setting off fireworks in the Oak Harbor home of three Navy men who were on deployment.

You can reach News-Times reporter Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611.