Was he brave, crazy–or alcoholic?
Amazing Antics: Stories of Alcoholism-Driven Behaviors
Another Survivor; another alcoholic
Tony J. Young would do anything to get back his pride and joy, a Ford Mustang. It had been stolen, with everything stripped from the chrome rims to the $3,500 stereo. Just two months later, it was stolen again, but this time he saw it pull up to a stop sign with the thief behind the wheel. Young asked the driver to get out, but the thief pressed the pedal to the metal. Incredibly, Young jumped on the trunk, hanging on at speeds up to 80 mph with his back on the rear windshield and one hand on the rear spoiler. In one of the most bizarre calls emergency dispatchers had ever received, Young dialed 911 with his other hand, giving continuing updates of his location. Twenty minutes later, with cops finally on his tail, the thief stopped the car and fled on foot. Young had survived the ordeal unhurt, which was amazing for someone on worker’s compensation after recently undergoing back surgery.
There are several clues to alcohol and other drug addiction in this amazing story of survival, and not just in the thief. The most obvious is that Young did something most people would consider insane. Additionally, he claimed to have been injured on the job; an estimated 50-80% of workplace injuries involve alcohol or other drugs.
Turns out, Tony L. Young is really Anthony B. Barry. He was hospitalized the next day, not from the wild ride, but instead for overdosing on a heroin and crack cocaine binge later that night. A few days later he was arrested for second-degree home invasion. With several felony arrests dating back to 1986, he was in prison from 1995 to January 2004 for breaking and entering. Anthony B. Barry, aka Tony L. Young, is a classic case of serious misbehaviors combined with crazy and reckless behaviors, seemingly heroic. He is a survivor. And, he is an alcoholic.
(Story passed along by Randy Cassingham, author of “This is True.”For more alcoholic antics deserving of Darwin Awards, see http://www.thisistrue.com for free subscriptions.)