Spike belt ends pickup thief’s dangerous flight from Vernon RCMP
The man behind the wheel of a pickup truck and trailer stolen in Vernon yesterday afternoon made a dangerous attempt to getaway from police, even after the tires were blown out by a spike belt.
The chase started around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Aug. 22, when the pickup and camper were reported stolen from a residential worksite in the 1800 block of Okanagan Landing Road, according to an RCMP media release.
“A covert police unit located and monitored the vehicle until officers were able to set up in advance and deploy a spike belt,” Vernon RCMP spokesperson Const. Chris Terleski said in the release.
“Once the vehicle drove over the device, officers attempted to stop the vehicle which sped up and began driving aggressively through traffic.”
Officers called off the pursuit in the interest of public safety.
It’s unclear if the pickup was still towing the trailer.
The suspect abandoned the stolen pickup when it hit another vehicle at the intersection of 27 Street and 48 Avenue.
With the help of witnesses, officers tracked down the suspect, and after a brief struggle, took him into custody.
“The dangerous attempt to avoid apprehension by this individual took place in a highly populated area of the city and put the public at risk,” Const. Terleski said.
A 39-year-old Abbotsford man remains in custody facing a number of potential charges and is expected to appear in court today.
Anyone who witnessed the event, or has dash cam footage, is asked to contact Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 250-545-7171 and quote police file 2022-14985.
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