A Bothell man driving recklessly on I-90 in a stolen utility vehicle was arrested Christmas night by state troopers.
The driver of the car, 49-year-old Jonathan Erick Ostheimer, had taken the vehicle, which is akin to a golf cart, from Sound Transit’s Link light rail construction site in Bellevue at about 9:30 p.m., according to Sound Transit public information officer Rachelle Cunningham. There was no one working at the site at the time of the theft, she said.
Sound Transit is looking into how Ostheimer came into possession of the car, which was returned on Dec. 26. According to Cunningham, the project construction manager found out about the incident on the morning of Dec. 26. The contractor is conducting the investigation.
Trooper Rick Johnson with Washington State Patrol confirmed that officers were able to stop the vehicle shortly after receiving the initial report. Ostheimer was subsequently taken into custody and booked into the King County jail for theft and trespassing.
Ostheimer, who was not intoxicated at the time of the incident according to lawyers in court, has previously been convicted for other vehicular misconduct, including driving with a suspended license and driving under the influence.
Ostheimer will appear in court Dec. 30, after waiving his right to appear in court on Dec. 26. He is facing charges of driving without a license, property of a stolen vehicle and first-degree trespassing. His bail is set at $7,500.
Editor’s note: An earlier headline for this story incorrectly stated who the stolen golf cart belonged to. The golf cart belonged to the contractor and was parked on the Sound Transit site.