CRYSTAL BEACH, Texas – There were 400 calls for service on the Bolivar Peninsula during the 'Go Topless' Jeep Weekend at Crystal Beach, according to Henry Trochesset, Galveston County sheriff.
From Friday to Saturday, there were 68 arrests -- 30 of which were alcohol-related and 10 of which were DWI-related -- 10 major auto-pedestrian accidents, eight major car crashes and 14 minor accidents, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said. Those numbers don't include Sunday.
He said at one point, LifeFlight was being treated as a regular ambulance since no emergency vehicles were left on the island to respond to calls.
READ: How a 21-year-old barely survived 'Go Topless' Jeep Weekend
By 6 p.m. Saturday, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office called the Texas Department of Public Safety for backup.
Trochesset said of the incidents reported, one man fell out of a truck and had to be taken to a hospital by LifeFlight. A head-on collision caused a woman to also be transported by LifeFlight.
Another man fell out of the bed of a truck, and the back wheel of the truck he was in ran over his head. He was also transported by LifeFlight.
Trochesset said no one is dead.
Due to the high volume of EMS calls for service ESD #2 requested assistance from the following agencies to insure ...
Posted by Galveston County Emergency Services District No.2 on Sunday, May 19, 2019
“It was just too many people, it was overwhelming,” Jacob Taylor said.
Taylor was one of the thousands who showed up for the Go Topless Jeep event in Galveston County, but it wasn't what he expected.
“When you get so many people in a certain area, you gonna have problems,” he said.
Kyle Nelson said he and his friends left when they heard gunshots.
“It was pretty chaotic. It got pretty bad,” Nelson said.
The city of Bolivar Peninsula's website said about the event:
"Thousands of Jeep Lovers head to Bolivar Peninsula and Crystal Beach Texas to meet-up with fellow jeepers for a relaxed weekend on the beachfront. Jeep lovers start rolling in Wednesday afternoon and Thursday to enjoy a few extra days on Bolivar Peninsula. Once Friday arrives so do the numbers of Jeep Lovers sporting their version of the ultimate Jeep. Vacation Rentals are booked well in advance for this Bolivar Peninsula event and RV Parks also. It's always a quick breakfast and most the day is spent beachfront."
