Man steals truck for “joy ride,” tells deputies he’s sorry

A man who told police he had just finished a prison sentence for stealing a car was found driving a truck minutes after it was reported stolen early Wednesday morning.

A black Dodge Ram truck was reported stolen around 4 a.m. Wednesday and it was spotted a few minutes later in the area of Indiana Avenue and Pines Road, according to a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office news release. The truck sped west on Indiana, ran a red light and got on the freeway at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour.

The truck got off at Argonne, headed north and started to smoke before turning onto Bigelow Gulch Road. A set of spike strips were set out and the truck stopped near Francis and Pittsburg.

The driver was identified as 24-year-old Timothy R. Candler, who reportedly told deputies that he had stolen the truck to go on a “joy ride” and was very sorry, the news release said. He was arrested and is facing charges of vehicle theft and attempting to elude police.

His passengers, 27-year-old Amber L. Strausser and 20-year-old Jarrett B. Keefer, are also facing vehicle theft charges.