You never really think of someone aspiring to drive a garbage truck, but yesterday, that notion was put to the test when a man wanted to drive one so badly that he stole one from its scheduled route and lead the police on a dramatic chase down U.S. 36. We can only assume his motivation was the hasty and proper disposal of our community's waste.
You never really think of someone aspiring to drive a garbage truck, but yesterday, that notion was put to the test when a man wanted to drive one so badly that he stole one from its scheduled route and lead the police on a dramatic chase down U.S. 36. We can only assume his motivation was the hasty and proper disposal of our community's waste.
It all started when Western Disposal driver Angel Valencia was just doing what he does, collecting trash on College Ave in Boulder, in his big Western Disposal garbage truck. He was on his typical route when he stepped out to handle some business … and someone else stepped in.
That someone was local bandit/ aspiring garbage truck driver Daniel Morkert, a man who had just come from asking a policeman if he could "borrow" his car. But when that didn't go over so well, he spotted Angel getting out of the garbage truck and thought he'd Grand Theft Auto that dumper, stat.
He took off in the hulking trash mobile, leaving Angel in the dust. Then he did what anyone who had just stolen a garbage truck would do; get onto highway 36, where the most police are! He stepped on the gas, taking the beast up to a death-defying 30 m.p.h. Whoa, buddy, the dumper driving test doesn't even go down until the second interview! You gotta apply first, man! Apply!
His other job options must have been really bad. Like, lawyer or something.
In an effort to end the chaos, and perhaps because they wanted to interview him for a dump truck job on the spot, Boulder County Sheriff's Office deputies deployed spikes in the road near the McCaslin Boulevard exit. One of the garbage truck's tires popped, but Daniel laughed in the face of that. Oh no, he wasn't stopping until he …
… crashed into the median on U.S. 287, where he was promptly arrested.
The only injuries cited in the incident were some parts on the truck and Daniel's future.
He was charged with auto theft, careless driving, and eluding a police officer, but we're wondering if there are charges for having the biggest balls ever created, or the greatest desire to properly dispose of trash known to man … Either way, Boulder, amiright?
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