Zombies Blamed For California Lorry Crash

A man accused of stealing an articulated lorry says he was being chased by zombies when he lost control and crashed, injuring seven people.

Jerimiah Hartline told police in California that dead people were clinging onto the lorry, local news website Temecula Patch reported .

The 19-year-old claimed he had swerved across the road in an attempt to shake off the zombies.

Nathan Baer, a California Highway Patrol officer, said Hartline took the truck, which was full of strawberries, when its driver stopped at a weigh bridge.

After colliding with several cars, he flipped the big rig onto its side, blocking the carriageway for seven hours.

"He was arrested at the crash scene and appeared to be in an altered state, claiming he was being chased by zombies," Officer Baer said.

A 19-year-old woman who was a passenger in one of the cars suffered a serious head injury and a severed artery. She remains in hospital, Temecula Patch reported.

Hartline, of Tennessee, pleaded not guilty to six offences, including assault with a deadly weapon, the truck.

He also denies reckless driving, vehicle theft, attempted vehicle theft, driving without a licence and involvement in a hit-and-run resulting in injury.

He is due to appear in court again on April 17.