A suspect accused of stealing a truck from a service station at the top of Kingsbury Grade early Friday ditched the vehicle and jumped over the guard rail, leading deputies and K-9 officer Kilo on a four-hour search.
Douglas sheriff's Sgt. Joe Duffy said the suspect reportedly rode a bicycle to the Exxon station on the Lake side of Kingsbury at 6 a.m. and ditched it, stealing a truck that was idling at a gas pump while the owner was inside paying for the fuel.
The suspect headed up the grade, to the Valley side, where he was spotted by Deputy Dan Nelson who was on his way up Kingsbury.
After a brief chase, the suspect slowed the pickup and jumped out, climbing over the guard rail and heading down the embankment.
Nelson was forced to stop his patrol car and run after the abandoned truck which was still moving.
Duffy said Nelson was able to stop the vehicle which suffered minor damage when it rolled into the hillside. There was no oncoming traffic, he said.
Deputies tracked the suspect about two miles down the embankment where Kilo found a white T-shirt. They abandoned the search after another two hours when they came to a paved road and Kilo lost the track.
They confiscated the suspect's bicycle at the gas station.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's department at 782-9080.
