A man who told investigators that he was fleeing zombies after he stole a rig truck in California and crashed it, may get up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to several felonies.

Jerimiah Clyde Hartline, 29, crashed the big rig truck on Interstate 15, which led to a chain-reaction of crashes, according to UT-San Diego.

Hartline had told authorities that he was driving erratically and swerving back and forth to shake off zombies that he feared were clinging to the side of the trailer.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Hartline stowed away in the strawberry-laden truck in Tennessee on April 6 before eventually stealing it when the driver got out near Temecula, Calif.

Seven people were injured as a result of the crash.

Hartline accepted a plea deal to plead guilty to charges of assault with a deadly weapon, hit and run causing death or injury, and vehicle theft. He also pleaded guilty to one allegation of causing great bodily injury. In accepting the plea deal, four other charges such as reckless driving, were dropped.

Hartline will be sentenced on June 24 and may receive up to five years in prison.

The strawberries were not damaged from the crash, and were donated to local food pantries and nonprofit organisations, according to UT-San Diego.