What Did Brown Do To Him?

GREENEVILLE, TENN. (CN) - An 82-year-old man says a United Parcel Services driver drove 9 miles down an interstate freeway with the old man clinging to the side of the truck. Haskell Taylor says he asked the driver for directions at a gas station, and the driver took off. The federal complaint includes excerpts from the driver's 911 call, reporting the old man clinging to the side of his truck.

Taylor claims the UPS driver, Bobby Miller, complained in a 911 call that the old man "wouldn't get off" his truck.

The complaint includes this alleged excerpt from Miller's 911 call:

"[Mr. Miller]: Hi. How are you doing? This is Bobby Miller. I work for UPS. I was on Exit 30 back there and a man climbed on my truck and wouldn't get off. I'm going down the interstate and he wouldn't get off my truck. He's on the side of my truck.

"[Dispatcher]: Where's he at now?

"[Mr. Miller]: On the side of my truck.

"[Dispatcher]: Where are you at?

"[Mr. Miller]: I'm at mile marker 29 going southbound.

"[Dispatcher]: OK, you need to pull over. I don't have an officer ... [inaudible] ... right now. They're working a tractor-trailer accident.

"[Mr. Miller]: He won't get off.

"[Dispatcher]: I wouldn't go down the road with him on your vehicle. You could kill him.

"[Mr. Miller]: I know, but he won't get off my truck.

"[Dispatcher]: I know that, but you still need to pull over so that you don't accidentally run over him.

"[Mr. Miller]: What happens if he pulls a gun on me or something ... [inaudible]

"[Dispatcher]: Well, we'll take care of him then, but you don't want to be convicted of manslaughter either.

"[Mr. Miller]: Well, I told him to get off my truck."

Taylor says he was hospitalized for two weeks after Miller finally pulled over. His primary physician says that Taylor now "rarely speaks and is much more confused after those events. There was an abrupt worsening throughout that period of time."

Taylor and his nephew, as next friend, demand punitive damages for negligence and outrage. Taylor is represented by Adam Edwards of Knoxville.

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