A teenager was arrested Sunday in Temecula, Calif. after allegedly stealing a tractor-trailer and crashing into several vehicles, injuring four people, which the teenager told authorities he was fleeing from "zombies."

Jeremiah Hartline, 19, was under the influence of a substance that caused him to believe that he was being pursued by zombies, the California Highway Patrol.

Local Officer Nate Baer told CNN that Hartline was picked up in Tennessee after he was kicked out of his home. He was riding in a truck when the driver, Daniel Martinez, stopped at an inspection site to fill out paperwork. Hartline was left alone in the 18-wheeler and decided to allegedly take the truck and get away from the zombies, Baer told CNN.

Baer did not reveal which substance Hartline had taken, but confirmed that the substance caused Hartline to hallucinate and attempt to escape from zombies.

"He thought zombies were chasing him and clinging to the truck," Baer told The Mirror. "Hartline swerved the truck side to side to shake the zombies off."

After the multiple-vehicle crash, Hartline reportedly exited the tractor-trailer. He attempted to hitch a ride, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. The driver of the van handed him over to authorities instead.

Hartline has been charged with six offenses, including assault with a deadly weapon, vehicle theft, and reckless driving. He pleaded not guilty to all charges on Wednesday, the Mirror reported.