A 20-year-old who decided to take his 1996 red Chevrolet Corvette for a spin on the Mooresville Dragway without permission ended up crashing and burning Sunday evening after he was arrested for trespassing.
The sheriff’s office received a call to the Mooresville Dragway, 1255 Wilkinson Road, shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday for a report of vandalism. As Deputy A.C. Goodman pulled up, he saw a red Corvette on top of the guardrail at the finish line.
Further investigation found the driver, Eli Scott Brandt, of 1420 Goodnight Lake Road, had pulled into the dragway, and asked Michael Teter, who was there collecting cans, if he could “take his car on the track and see what it could do,” the report said.
Teter told Goodman he didn’t give him permission to be on the track, but Brandt went anyway.
Brandt made one loop around the track, and just as he was approaching the finish line on his second pass, Teter said he heard three loud “bangs,” turned and saw the Corvette on the guardrail.
Goodman went over to the car and spoke to Brandt, who told him he knew he didn’t have permission, but thought Teter was the owner of the track, and thought it would be OK.
Brandt was charged with first-degree trespassing and injury to real property, and was given a written promise to appear in court. Members of his family were called to the dragway and took his car back home.