OSCEOLA — An antique fire truck stolen last week has been found and returned to its owner.

Earlier this week, Cass County police in Michigan reported that the antique 1957 International Harvester fire truck had been found and hauled to a salvage yard.

Victor Kubitschek, the truck’s owner and an Osceola-area farmer, said he went to Edwardsburg on Thursday to retrieve the vehicle, more or less undamaged after its disappearance.

“It’s just about like it was,” said Kubitschek, who had feared the truck would be cut apart and sold as scrap. “It’s got a few dings on it where they must have banged it around.”

The truck — which Kubitschek had valued about $15,000 — had been stolen by two men who loaded it onto a flatbed truck and drove away.

The men told a neighbor that they had been hired to remove the truck and donate it to a fire department.

Sgt. Bill Redman, St. Joseph County police spokesman, said information about the missing truck had been posted on CrimEnet, a service that shares information between area law enforcement agencies.

Redman said the theft of the fire truck is still under investigation but that the vehicle was reportedly found abandoned near Purgatory Towing, 70815 Kessington Road, in Edwardsburg.

A Tribune article about the theft also generated leads, Redman said, although many pointed to fire trucks legitimately owned by other people.

“Detective Tom Baker told me that he didn’t realize how many people owned antique fire trucks,” Redman said.

With his truck returned, Kubitschek said he’ll keep better watch of the vehicle, and he hopes to spend some time this winter restoring it to classic condition.

“I’m just glad they found it,” Kubitschek said. “I didn’t know if I’d see it again.”

Staff writer Dave Stephens:
dstephens@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6209