Troubled Defendant Takes Plea Deal for Stealing & Crashing Semi-Truck

SAN ANGELO — A San Angelo man, David Conklin, 43, has admitted guilt following a harrowing incident involving a stolen semi-truck careening into power lines along North Bell Street.

Conklin reached a plea agreement for Theft of Property between $30k and $150K stemming from the theft of a 1999 Peterbilt Semi Truck and subsequent crash on Bell St.

According to court records, San Angelo Police responded to reports of a felony theft at the intersection of North Bell Street and La Follette Street on March 21, 2023. The theft originated at 560 North Bell Street, B&W Trailer and Machine Shop, where Conklin absconded with the semi-truck, ultimately crashing it into a signal light pole and power lines at the intersection before overturning the vehicle.

Following the crash, Conklin fled to a residence on the 1600 block of Beacon Street, where law enforcement apprehended him.

The victim recounted leaving his semi-truck parked at B&W Trailer on Bell St., with keys inside, while he entered the shop for parts. Upon his return, the truck had vanished.

An eyewitness detailed seeing the semi-truck collide with signal lights and then observed Conklin fleeing behind the Stripes Convenience Store onto Beacon Street.

During his hospitalization at Shannon Medical Center, Conklin claimed no memory of stealing the semi-truck but admitted recollection of driving it prior to the crash. He confessed to concealing the keys inside a shed door at the residence.

Conklin has remained in custody at Tom Green County Jail since his arrest on March 21, 2023, and was indicted later that month. In exchange for his guilty plea, he has been sentenced to four years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.