Man ‘freaked’ by police steals garbage truck

BOULDER, Colo. — A man accused of stealing a garbage truck in Boulder this week may have been scared by officers responding to an unrelated call near his home.

The Daily Camera reports that a neighbor told police that 26-year-old Daniel Morkert got “freaked” when officers arrived in the area Wednesday afternoon.

According to the police report, Morkert came out of his apartment building with his pitbull and asked an officer if he could borrow his car. The officer assumed he was joking. Morkert then allegedly got into garbage truck with his dog while the driver was out moving a dumpster and took off.

Morkert led officers on a low-speed chase down U.S. 36 until he crashed over a median in Broomfield.

Prosecutors are expected to file charges against him Tuesday.