Portland Man Drives Stolen Pickup As Owner Clings To Top Of Vehicle

A pickup truck owner went on a wild ride with the Portland man accused of stealing his vehicle, according to KATU.

Portland Police says the incident started before 6 a.m. Wednesday (November 3) near the intersection of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Oak Street. Officers got calls about a reckless driver in a pickup truck and another person hanging on to a ladder mounted on the truck. Reporters say the victim was working on a billboard before the theft happened.

When police were able to find the suspect driving on Barbur Boulevard, they said the owner was yelling for help. That's when the driver started jerking the vehicle around, trying to shake the owner off, authorities claim.

Officers followed the truck as it traveled on I-5, I-405, and Highway 26 westbound. When the suspect driver took the Canyon Road exit, the owner was able to jump off the vehicle and land on grass, reporters say. He was not seriously injured, police added.

The suspect kept going until he hit a dead-end street, which is where officers arrested and identified the driver as 36-year-old Jacob Sopher of Portland.

He was charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree kidnapping, reckless driving, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and reckless endangering. Sopher was booked into Multnomah County Jail.