Driver in Spooner search jailed

The Oregon truck driver who police plucked from the snowy wilderness off Highway 50 West remained in jail Thursday morning on drug charges.

Chris Brian Keiser, 41, was booked into the Carson City Jail on suspicion of felony possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of a hypodermic needle and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Keiser's tractor-trailer rig was found abandoned with its engine running about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning parked on the north shoulder of the highway a quarter mile from Spooner Summit.

A sleeping bag, some miscellaneous papers and a coat were found outside the truck as well as a black bag some 20 feet from the truck and footprints in the snow leading into the tree line.

Nearly two hours later as search and rescue crews were being called in, Keiser was found disoriented and stumbling aimlessly away from the highway about 300 yards southeast of the truck.

He was taken by ambulance to Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

According to the police report, during a search of Keiser's truck Deputy Jarrod Adams located a plastic case for a needle with suspected methamphetamine residue, a hypodermic needle with a broken tip, another needle with suspected methamphetamine inside, and a canister containing a cotton ball, with a needle tip and suspected methamphetamine residue.

Keiser was taken into custody after his release from the hospital.

He is being held on $2,500 bail. A court date of Dec. 24 has been set for a preliminary hearing.