News - Local News

POSTED: Monday, Nov. 03, 2008

11-year-old stows away under delivery truck in Bellingham

An 11-year-old boy took a ride underneath a delivery truck Sunday, Nov. 2, after he crawled onto a metal platform near the truck's rear axle while it was parked outside of the Fairhaven Haggen Food & Pharmacy.

The boy, a chronic runaway reported missing Saturday, crawled under the delivery truck Sunday afternoon, and the truck's driver drove off without noticing him, said Bellingham Police Lt. Steve Felmley.

The driver was on his way to Walmart, at 4420 Meridian St., when a person in a car flagged him down near Telegraph Road indicating there was a problem beneath his truck.

The driver pulled the truck over and took a quick look underneath but did not notice the boy. He continued driving.

After the truck parked outside of Walmart, the driver made a more thorough inspection, discovered the stowaway and called police, Felmley said.

The boy was uninjured, but police took him to St. Joseph's Hospital for a mental health evaluation.