By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
A police pursuit attempting to stop the driver of a stolen scooter was discontinued when the eastbound scooter began driving between westbound vehicles on E. Crawford Street Tuesday evening.
The scooter was later found abandoned in the backyard of a residence in the 600 block of S. Fifth Street.
Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that a red Jiangsu Baodiao scooter, valued at $600, with a license plate of KS 292, was stolen from the driveway of a residence in the 500 block of Montrose Street. The owner, a 27-year-old Salina man, told police that he had both sets of keys in his possession.
Tuesday evening, officers were attempting to locate a subject in the 800 block of Charles Street when they saw someone driving away from the residence a scooter that appeared to have been spray-painted black, Forrester said. An officer followed the person on the scooter. The scooter failed to stop at the stop sign at the Charles Street/S. Phillips Avenue intersection.
Forrester said the officer caught up with the scooter at the W. Crawford Street/S. Ninth Street intersection and noticed the license plate was KS 292. A pursuit continued eastbound on Crawford Street until the scooter driver, still going eastbound, crossed over to the westbound lanes and drove between oncoming vehicles. At that point, the officer discontinued the pursuit.
Later that evening, officers were called to a residence in the 600 block of S. Fifth Street for the report of an abandoned scooter in the backyard, Forrester said. The scooter was recovered and returned to the owner.
Forrester said police believe they have a possible suspect in the case.