A 39-year-old Chattooga County man was arrested after authorities investigated a wreck involving a Ford Mustang and determined that his account of what happened was inconsistent with evidence gathered at the scene.

According to a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office incident report, Joshua Matthew Evans, 39, was arrested October 3 and charged with false report of a crime.

The incident began around 2:37 AM when a Chattooga County deputy was dispatched to assist Trion Police with traffic control at a crash scene. The vehicle involved had overturned and come to rest on its side, and the driver was reportedly no longer at the scene.

The deputy spoke with Evans, who claimed his daughter had picked him up approximately 20 minutes earlier. Evans said he later discovered that his 1999 black Ford Mustang was missing.

Evans reportedly told authorities he believed his daughter had taken the vehicle without permission and provided information about where she could be located.

During the investigation, the deputy noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from Evans and asked whether he had been drinking. Evans acknowledged consuming alcohol before going to sleep.

Another deputy subsequently reported noticing blood on Evans. Investigators also learned that blood had been discovered on the left side of the Mustang’s steering wheel.

Before leaving the scene, Evans told deputies he had injured himself earlier and believed that explained the blood.

The report states that Evans was taken for medical clearance. During the evaluation, a deputy noticed marks on Evans’ chest and shoulders that appeared consistent with seat belt injuries.

Following the investigation, Evans was turned over to the Georgia State Patrol and charged with making a false report of a crime.

The report does not indicate whether additional charges were filed in connection with the crash.