2 hospitalized, 1 arrested after alleged ‘monster truck’ assault at Rednecks with Paychecks

AUTHOR’S NOTE: A video of the incident, provided courtesy Dalene K. Jackson, can be found in the video player below.

MONTAGUE COUNTY ( KFDX/KJTL ) — A man faces five felony charges after officials with the Montague County Sheriff’s Office said he ran over multiple vehicles with a “monster truck” at Rednecks with Paychecks in Saint Jo, causing two victims to be hospitalized.

Jonathan Earl Reid, 36, of Crockett, was booked into the Montague County Jail in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, on five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was released that evening after posting bonds totaling $200,000.

According to the case narrative, the Montague County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a large black “monster truck” at the annual Rednecks with Paychecks event in Saint Jo that had run over at least two individuals and multiple vehicles.

Deputies said Montague County Dispatch advised that one caller believed a victim was possibly deceased due to the incident. However, authorities did not list any fatalities stemming from the incident in the case narrative.

When deputies arrived on the scene, Reid was already in the custody of the event security team, who notified them that witnesses were on the way to the front gate to provide statements.

Authorities said they collected 21 written statements from individuals who witnessed the incident, many of which identified Reid as the suspect.

According to witness statements, Reid got into a verbal argument with multiple individuals inside the park after he struck the side of a UTV. Witnesses claimed he exchanged words with parties on the scene, saying, “If the vehicle doesn’t have an eight-foot flag on it, I can hit it.”

Witness statements alleged Reid then climbed back into his vehicle, which deputies described as a “monster truck,” and struck the UTV again; then, individuals became upset with Reid and began throwing rocks and beer cans at his truck.

According to witness statements, Reid then put his vehicle in reverse and began backing into other vehicles before putting the truck in drive and accelerating quickly, striking a Jeep SUV and rolling over the top of it.

Witness statements said two individuals were outside the Jeep when Reid began accelerating towards it. They said the victims attempted to move out of the vehicle’s path, but Reid struck one.

According to witness statements, Reid then continued accelerating, driving over the top of another UTV and striking another victim.

According to the case narrative from the Montague County Sheriff’s Office, authorities identified five victims from the assault:

• Female, 26, from Hutchinson, Kansas
• Male, 38, from Hutchinson, Kansas
• Male, 43, from Copperas Cove, Texas
• Female, 67, from Hobbs, New Mexico
• Male, 43, from Hobbs, New Mexico

The case narrative said two of the victims were hospitalized following the incident. Their current condition is unknown at this time.

Deputies said after Reid was placed into custody, he complained of discomfort in his arm and was transported to the ER at Nocona General Hospital for medical evaluation.

Deputies said that while at the hospital, Reid stated individuals in the park were assaulting him, and he was attempting to get away from them.

Since its inception in 2011, the biannual Rednecks with Paychecks has grown in popularity. In recent years, the park outside of Saint Jo off of F.M. 3206 has drawn tens of thousands of attendees from all over the world.

Over the last decade, multiple incidents at the event have caused community members to question its safety.

In March 2015, a 10-year-old boy was killed after a crash at Rednecks with Paychecks. The following year, a 34-year-old man from Corinth died while being transported to the hospital after he was thrown from an ATV at the event.

A head-on collision between two ATVs in 2019 claimed the life of a Denison man at Rednecks with Paychecks. The same year, a Marine Reserve veteran died after a traumatic fall from the back of a UTV.

A 23-year-old man from McKinney drowned in 2021 at Rednecks with Paychecks after his UTV went over an embankment and into a swimming hole, where it began to sink. Multiple attendees attempted to rescue the man, but they were unsuccessful.

Most recently, i n September 2022, a 61-year-old man from Denison reportedly died after suffering what authorities called an obvious head injury.

In addition to fatalities reported at the event, Rednecks with Paychecks has resulted in a multitude of injuries and arrests since it began in 2011.

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