Alleged Thief Nearly Busts Himself Open, Along With Stolen ATM

An unidentified Kansas man allegedly came close to pulling off an ATM heist early yesterday, after he reportedly stole a skid loader and not only used it to pry a cash machine loose from a local credit union but also to drop it down a 50-foot embankment and bust it open, according to police.

His plan took a wrong turn, however, when the skid loader also was tumbled down the embankment by the weight of the 3,000-pound automatic teller machine, as the alleged thief still in the driver's seat, according to the Kansas City Star, which includes a photograph of the accident scene. When authorities arrived, they found him trapped inside the battered skid loader cage.

“It is stunning that he is still alive. We are talking about a 50-feet embankment—basically straight down," Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens tells the newspaper. Although the suspect was hurt, his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The article doesn't say whether any tort claims are anticipated.