Naked carjacking suspect arrested after multiple Scottsdale wrecks

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - Police are trying to figure out why a man stripped naked, carjacked a woman, and then sped through Shea Boulevard causing a multi-car crash.

At around 1:30 p.m., there was an initial accident at Via de Ventura and Hayden. Police say the driver, identified as 45-year-old John Brigham, got out of his car and started acting erratically.

He stripped naked and jumped on top of the roof of another car, said a witness who didn't want to be identified, but provided ABC15 with a picture of the naked man.

"He was yelling and chanting," Scottsdale Sgt. Mark Clark said.

Investigators say Brigham then carjacked a woman who was driving a blue Toyota Prius.

He then took off. The victim in the second car was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Police believe the suspect drove northbound on Hayden and then caused a second crash eastbound on Shea between State Route 101 and 90th Street.

There were five vehicles involved in the second crash. It's possible Brigham was driving the wrong way and at very high speeds, police said.

The wife of the man driving a white pick-up truck who was involved in the second crash told ABC15 her husband saw the suspect swerved into his lane and hit him head on.

"He got out naked running all over the place trying to get into other people's cars," she said.

Brigham was ejected from the Prius, and as witnesses described, he continued attempting to carjack other drivers.

"He actually observed the suspect still naked trying to carjack two other vehicles," said Clark referring to an officer who was one of the first to respond.

"When he called and said he was hit by a naked man in a Prius I thought it had to be a joke," added the wife of the man driving the pick-up truck.

The man's mother, Sonia Echeverria, who was standing next to her daughter-in-law, told ABC15 she is glad her son wasn't seriously hurt.

The driver of the pick up truck suffered some cuts from glass. The passenger will need some stitches.

"I'm just glad he's okay. This is crazy," said Echeverria. "He was more worried about his passenger than himself. And more worried about the pregnant lady stuck in the car the guy hit first."

At the second crash, there were four injuries. Two of them were life-threatening.

One of the injuries was a pregnant female driving a white Lexus.

Brigham, who wasn't seriously injured, was taken into custody without resisting arrest. He was also taken to the hospital.

Police are trying to figure out why the suspect did what he did. Based on witness accounts, police believe Brigham's behavior may be linked to drugs or mental instability.

Once he is handed over to Scottsdale police, he could face charges of car jacking, robbery and leaving the scene of a hit-and-run.

Brigham was arrested in 2011 for criminal damage.