A Portsmouth officer spotted a red SUV apparently trying to avoid a police cruiser Friday morning.
Seconds later, the driver parked, bailed out, and took off on foot.
Police first noticed the vehicle around 10:50 a.m. between 6th and 7th streets.
The small red SUV was seen heading west on 7th Street, and officers began trying to catch up with it.
Before police ever made contact, the driver pulled over in the 1700 block area, parked the vehicle legally, and ran.
Officers described the man as wearing a gray shirt or hoodie and jeans.
He was last seen running north through an alley from 5th toward 6th Street.
Several officers checked the area but were unable to find him.
Police were careful to note that this was not a vehicle pursuit and that officers had not attempted to stop the SUV before the driver abandoned it.
No report was taken at the time.
So whatever made the driver decide that a perfectly legal parking job should be followed by a sprint through an alley remains a mystery.