Brady Grubbs

An Ellwood City man was entered into the county Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on Wednesday, after being charged with deliberately crashing a vehicle to make a point.

Brady M. Grubbs, 21, was entered into the program with 18 months' probation on charges of misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person and two counts of criminal mischief by Judge William Shaffer.

He was also ordered to pay restitution. A count of summary reckless driving was dismissed as part of the proceeding.

Grubbs was also initially charged with a felony count of aggravated assault, which was later withdrawn at the district judge level. Butler police filed the charges after an incident in the 300 block of East Locust Street on April 13.

Police said Grubbs argued with his girlfriend, 21-year-old Ariel Sleigher of Ellwood City, while visiting family members, before he got into a Honda Accord, backed up and then accelerated forward into the back of an unoccupied Pontiac Vibe.

One witness estimated the Honda was traveling at 50 mph when it hit the Pontiac, forcing it into the back of a parked Chevrolet TrailBlazer, which then hit a utility pole.

During a police interview, Grubbs told officers he did it, “to make a point after the argument.”

The argument, he said, was over his suspicion that she was cheating on him.