Auto theft suspect apprehended short distance away after fleeing from crash on foot

Kamloops City

2021-07-16 14:30 PDT

File # 2021-24102

A suspect spotted behind the wheel of a stolen pickup truck and eventually taken into police custody, had allegedly fled on foot from the scene of a hit and run collision on Columbia Street in an apparent attempt to escape capture.

On July 15, 2021 at 1:16 p.m., Kamloops RCMP responded to a report of two suspicious vehicles, a silver Saturn sedan with no licence plates and a white Ford F-250 pickup truck, in the parking garage of a property in the 400-block of Lansdowne Street. Police queries of the licence plate attached to the pickup truck identified it as being reported to police on Wednesday as stolen.

A front line officer responded to the location and attempted to conduct a traffic stop with the stolen pickup truck. The stolen vehicle reversed suddenly, nearly striking the police vehicle and fled the area at a high rate of speed and into the on coming lanes.

Recognizing the dangers posed to the general public, the police and even the suspect, front line RCMP officers did not pursue the vehicle as it fled the area in an erratic manner, states Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesman for the BC RCMP in the Southeast District. Moments later the Ford pickup truck was involved in a collision with a white Mazda sedan at the intersection of Columbia Street and 6 Avenue. The driver abandoned the stolen pickup truck and took off on foot.

Investigators believe that the damaged truck then further rolled over a parked Harley-Davidson motorcycle, damaged a fence before coming to a final rest. The suspect was located and arrested by police nearby.

The operator of the Mazda passenger car was transported by BC Emergency Health Services to hospital for medical treatment of what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect, a 33-year-old Kamloops man, was held in police custody and is expected to appear in court today. The prohibited driver, who was allegedly in breach of his probation, now faces a number of potential new charges related to yesterday’s incident.

If you witnessed any portion of the collision, or the suspects apprehension and have not yet spoken to police you are asked to call the Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000.
 

Released by

Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey

Email: jesse.odonaghey@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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