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Man spots his own stolen truck in traffic minutes before wreck

Washington State Patrol troopers believe a truck towing a stolen trailer and excavator overturned Monday on Highway 16.

PORT ORCHARD (Kitsap Sun) — As Cameron Lundquist sat in Port Orchard traffic on his way home from work on Monday afternoon, his brother-in-law Josh at the wheel, Josh spotted a familiar vehicle and asked him: “Is that your truck?”

Lundquist was not expecting the question.

“From afar it kind of looked like my truck,” Lundquist said, noting the truck spotted near them in traffic was red with black wheels and bore an uncanny resemblance to his prized 1998 Dodge Ram 2500. “But how could it be my truck, it’s at home?”

Lundquist and his brother-in-law tried to turn around to check for themselves, but they lost it in traffic. Not long after that, Lundquist arrived home to see his driveway empty and learned it was, in fact, his truck.

At about 3:40 p.m., shortly after catching a glimpse of the Dodge pickup – and Lundquist really loved that truck – it was seen heading down Highway 16, towing a stolen trailer, which was carrying a stolen mini excavator. Witnesses reported seeing it wobbling before the truck lost control. The trailer separated from the truck and the excavator rolled onto its side on the highway.The truck tumbled into the median.

Investigators believe the excavator had been loaded improperly, which led to the truck losing control. The wreck snarled pre-rush hour traffic by shutting down both eastbound lanes of the highway for about two hours.

Adding to the mystery: the driver of the truck was able to get away.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Russ Winger said investigators believe another driver was driving behind the truck and trailer and helped him escape.

Passers-by stopped immediately and helped the driver climb out of the wreckage. But in the excitement of trying to pull the driver to safety, witnesses were unable to provide a detailed description to troopers other than he was a light-skinned male wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

He was last seen running across the highway. He jumped into a red passenger car — which may have been a later model Audi — and drove away.

“That’s the last description we got of the possible driver who came out of that truck,” Winger said.

After Lundquist reported the car stolen to Port Orchard Police, an officer took him to the scene for him to try to salvage any belongings. He hadn’t owned it for a full year, having bought it from a friend in February.

“He loved it as much as me,” Lundquist said.

Another strange detail, Lundquist said, is the recent cold weather zapped the battery, so whoever stole it might have had to jumpstart it. He spoke to a neighbor who said she had seen a red car in the neighborhood, parked at a house for sale, but didn’t think much of it as potential buyers frequently stopped to look at the house.

Although Lundquist doubts insurance will reimburse him for the true value of the vehicle, his main concern is with his family and the fact that somebody came on to his property.

“I think more so my sense of security is impacted than financial,” he said. “I know I will get something out of the truck insurance wise, but my kids are more important than anything. That’s the most difficult thing to cope with.”

Those with information on the case can contact Trooper Christine Kearsing at 360-473-0300.

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