‘Topless’ weekend ends in injuries

More than 100 people were arrested in connection with the “Go Topless Galveston” event for Jeep aficionados at Crystal Beach this weekend.

Public intoxication, driving while intoxicated, vehicle burglary and vehicle-related injuries forced the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office to work around the clock.

“We’ve seen them fall out of vehicles, get struck by other vehicles, fall out and hit their head,” said Sheriff Henry Trochesset. “We had a head-on collision last night by Gilchrist. A vehicle caught on fire. The passenger was extracted from the vehicle and we called Life Flight.”

Go Topless is a weekend-long celebration organized by Jeep drivers across the country. The name nods to the Jeep Wrangler’s removable upper body, one of the features that endears the vehicle to outdoor enthusiasts, though many Mardi Gras beads can also be found at the event. For Go Topless Galveston, Jeep enthusiasts navigated an obstacle course, drove through the waves and parked on Crystal Beach with coolers full of beer and flags waving from their vehicles.

According to its website, Go Topless Galveston has recently ballooned in popularity, growing from 180 Jeeps in 2016 to 700 in 2017. It was unclear how many attended this weekend’s event.

Heather Farr, who has attended Go Topless Galveston for four years, said she believed the number of accidents was aggravated by higher-than-normal tides that occur twice a year as the seasons change. The bull tide meant there was less beach on which vehicles could park, resulting in dense, hard-to-navigate crowds.

“It was very difficult to even walk through all the cars and people, much less drive,” she said, adding that she witnessed one vehicle speed through the water near an officer who was unable to intervene because of gridlock.

“In previous years, I’ve seen them stop many of the people riding on top of or on the hood of buggies or jeeps and tell them to get down, which prevents the accidents like we saw this weekend,” she said. “If they are unable to get anywhere, they can’t stop people and tell them to pour out their beers…which means people drink more.”

Trochesset agreed that the crowds were the worst he has seen in over a decade.