A woman stole a truck in Tualatin, lead police on a pursuit and crashed into the Willamette River leaving a dog inside of the cab swimming for its life.
Around 12:50 a.m., Tualatin Police received a suspicious person call of a woman knocking on a door of a home in a residential area of the 5300 block of SW Sequoia DR. As officers responded to the area the caller notified dispatch the suspicious female had stolen a pickup
truck from a neighbor behind her property. The truck damaged a fence and left the area toward SW Borland Rd.
Officers located the 2006 Ford F-250 truck a few minutes later on SW Stafford Rd in Clackamas County. The driver proceeded to Interstate 205 northbound and failed to yield to the officers who had activated the lights and sirens on their patrol vehicles.
The pursuit continued northbound on Interstate 205 to exit 9 in Oregon City where the truck exited the freeway. The truck continued into Jon Storm Park which is a dead end street ending at a marina on the north shore of the Willamette River.
The truck drove down an embankment and into the river where the driver exited the truck and began swimming in the river. Officers were able to take the woman into custody as she reached the dock of the marina.
They also learned at that time there was a dog still inside the mostly submerged truck. The dog was swimming in the water of the cab using an air pocket to breathe. Officers quickly entered the water and made it to the truck, reached through the window and pulled the dog from the cab of the truck. The dog was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic to be evaluated but appeared to be ok.
The driver of the vehicle identified as Kyla Marie Byrd of Portland was lodged at the Clackamas County Jail for Unlawful Use of A Motor Vehicle, Felony Elude and Criminal Mischief in the second degree.