Seattle teen steals garbage truck, goes on 'destructive' downtown tour

SEATTLE (Reuters) - An 18-year-old with a learner's driving permit stole a garbage truck in Seattle and went on a "destructive tour" of downtown on Tuesday, crashing into parked cars and a bike rack before hitting another waste truck, police said.

The teen hopped into the driver's seat of the truck in the dense Capitol Hill neighborhood after harassing the driver early on Tuesday morning, Seattle Police Department Detective Patrick Michaud said.

The suspect then led officers on a slow-speed chase through the Pike-Pine Corridor area, weaving in and out of traffic, striking several parked cars and upending a public bike-share kiosk, Michaud said.

The "destructive tour" came to a stop after the teen crashed into another garbage truck, he said.

He was arrested after a foot chase and booked into King County Jail on suspicion of auto theft and malicious mischief, Michaud said.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Eric Beech)