---
title: "Man Steals Utility Truck, Leads Police on Chase with Helpless Worker Trapped in Bucket"
description: "Just about the most conspicuous choice for a getaway car."
date: "2017-11-17"
modified: "2017-11-20"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/16217/man-steals-utility-truck-leads-police-on-chase-with-helpless-worker-trapped-in-bucket"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "bucket truck"
  - "Crime"
  - "Ohio"
  - "police"
  - "police chase"
  - "theft"
  - "utility truck"
---

# Man Steals Utility Truck, Leads Police on Chase with Helpless Worker Trapped in Bucket

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/11/bucket-truck-2.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

A municipal utility worker in Ohio had the ride of his life on Friday after a man broke into his Ford F-550 [bucket truck](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/12688/video-shows-florida-man-shoot-up-att-trucks-parked-outside-his-home>) and took off, leading police on a ten mile chase that ended with the use of stop sticks—all with the helpless employee still trapped ten feet in the air in the bucket.

Police say the unnamed worker was hanging Christmas decorations on a telephone pole for the town of Elmwood Place outside Cincinnati when Dennis Smith Jr. jumped into the driver's seat of the utility truck and sped away, [according to *WLWT*.](<https://www.wlwt.com/article/police-utility-truck-stolen-with-man-in-bucket/13794621>) The employee was able to radio in his predicament to his dispatcher, who in turn called 911 to report the unintentional abduction. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the incredulity of the 911 operator is pretty amusing: "A [bucket truck?](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/8373/watch-this-cherry-pickers-bucket-come-terrifying-close-to-being-torn-off>) So he’s still with the vehicle? And the vehicle has been taken?”

Security footage obtained by the station shows the truck booking it down a nearby road soon after the theft, and you can clearly see the employee has lowered the bucket and is trying desperately to climb to the relative safety of the bed of the truck. Police from several area jurisdictions responded and [gave chase,](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/16130/police-officer-hits-143-mph-in-dodge-charger-while-chasing-down-drunk-mclaren-720s-driver>) pursuing the suspect into a Cincinnati neighborhood where officers used stop sticks to finally bring an end to things.

https://youtube.com/embed/pSJfyQWbcqA

The employee, described as a "longtime employee and military veteran" [by the Elmwood Place Mayor,](<https://www.wlwt.com/article/police-utility-truck-stolen-with-man-in-bucket/13794621>) was thankfully uninjured in the ordeal, though he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution. Smith Jr. isn't so lucky: He's been charged with theft and kidnapping.

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)