Cable repairman taken for ride in cherry picker

[July 22, 2008]  BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) -- A cable repairman fixing overhead lines in a cherry picker truck got a lift he wasn't expecting. Police said a Bakersfield man stole the Brighthouse Networks truck on Saturday while 50-year-old Curtis Bartell was elevated 25 feet in the air.

The thief drove off, tearing down several phone lines before crashing into a utility pole. Police say Bartell did not suffer any major injuries.

Police arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of hit-and-run, automobile theft and false imprisonment.

He fled the scene but was taken into custody Sunday morning.

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Information from: The Bakersfield Californian, http://www.bakersfield.com/

[Associated Press]

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