Gridley man sentenced for stealing truck and injuring its owner, authorities say

A Gridley man is going to prison for his role in a truck theft that left the vehicle’s owner seriously injured, Butte County officials say.

John Dudley Pilgram was given a five-year sentence for a July incident in which he stole a truck and then ran over its owner, according to the county District Attorney’s Office.

In a news release, District Attorney Mike Ramsey said that crime began when Pilgram, 24, stole a truck parked outside of an auto body shop in Gridley. The owner of the vehicle and his co-workers raced outside and began pursuing Pilgram in a separate vehicle as he sped off.

The owner found Pilgram inside the truck a short time later outside of Gridley, where Pilgram stopped to avoid a collision with another vehicle, according to the DA’s Office.

The owner opened the driver door and demanded Pilgram exit the vehicle, but he accelerated the truck, reaching speeds of more than 45 miles per hour, according to the release. The owner fell to the pavement and suffered severe abrasions over his body, a laceration to the head, dislocated shoulder and injured hip, which required him to be airlifted to a trauma center.

The truck was found abandoned in Yuba City shortly after, Ramsay said. Pilgram was identified and arrested on a warrant for auto theft causing great bodily injury, and was ordered to pay the victim more than $27,000 in restitution for the damage to the truck, lost wages and medical bills.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 7:08 AM.