Boy, 17, Held in Tanker Joy Ride
- Share via
A 17-year-old runaway allegedly took a joy ride early Wednesday in a stolen diesel tanker truck, driving erratically down Sherman Way in Canoga Park, smashing into at least five cars and leading police on a short chase that came to a crashing halt just inside the gates of exclusive Hidden Hills.
Police said the boy, whose name was not released, had run away from a Van Nuys group home and took the three-axle semi-truck from a city street maintenance yard in North Hollywood.
After several witnesses called, a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car chased the tanker across more than a dozen city blocks about 1 a.m.
The tanker crashed into a wrought-iron gate and a decorative pillar in Hidden Hills, trapping the boy in the cab. He was extricated by the Los Angeles Fire Department and treated at a hospital for a broken leg and other injuries.
Police booked the boy on charges of grand theft auto, evading police, and hit and run.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
