NEWPORT — A man was arrested following a car fire in the parking lot of Country Concert, Thursday, at about 11 p.m.
Aaron Henderson, 29, of Dayton, was charged with criminal damaging his burning car damaged a neighboring vehicle. Henderson’s car was stuck in the mud at Hickory Hill Lakes campground in Newport, where Country Concert takes place. In trying to dislodge the car from the mud, Henderson repeatedly revved the motor, and the car went up in flames. The heat from the fire then damaged a vehicle nearby.
Henderson was rumored to be drunk, but that was not confirmed by the sheriff’s office. No one was injured, and Henderson will not be charged with driving under the influence even if he is found to have been under the influence, because driving under the influence charges cannot be made on private property, the sheriff’s office said.
Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart said there were five arrests made on the first day of Country Concert and about 40,000 people were in attendance.
Spirit Medical Transport, the emergency medical services on scene, reported that they had responded to 15 incidents by midday Friday. They had transported three people to Wilson Health.
The American Red Cross, who are on scene for first aid and safety, had responded to 50 incidents by 11:30 p.m., Thursday.
