Local resident Galina Bieniada captured this photo of the overturned semi Tuesday, July 11, 2017.
Image Credit: Galina Bieniada
July 12, 2017 - 3:13 PM
VERNON - A trail of damage was left in the wake of what police are calling an incident of “stolen vehicle mayhem” in the North Okanagan yesterday.
On Tuesday evening, July 11, police received a report of a possible impaired driver had just crashed a small car in the Tronson Road area, Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says in a release.
Witnesses reported the driver and passenger fled the vehicle after hitting a large rock. A woman walked away while the man stole a small bicycle from a neighbouring residence, Moskaluk says.
“The male then jumped into a large commercial truck parked running at the roadside. The driver of the truck was nearby, discussing where he was going to place a delivery with his client at the time,” Moskaluk says.
The suspect then backed the truck into a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee, pushing it out of his way, and continued backwards at a high rate of speed down a hill in the rural residential area.
As the suspect attempted to leave the area, a responding officer noticed the truck and nearby witnesses.
“The suspect did manage to depart the area after the officer deployed a spike belt which was ineffective at stopping or slowing the truck,” Moskaluk says. “The driver narrowly missed the officer.”
The suspect crashed the truck about one kilometre further up the road, rolling the vehicle onto its side.
“RCMP officers converged on the vehicle and took the man into custody without further incident, as he was unable to get out of the overturned truck,” Moskaluk says.
The man was transported by ambulance to the hospital, treated and released into police custody. Investigators made a blood demand to the individual in order to determine if his ability to operate a vehicle was impaired by alcohol or drugs, Moskaluk says.
The man remains in custody for a court appearance.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017