'Traumatizing': Driver followed by masked man in Vernon
Judy Wiebe says her sense of safety has been eroded and her faith in the RCMP has massively deteriorated.
In Vernon with her 15-year-old daughter for the B.C. Winter Games, the pair had a traumatizing experience March 23.
Sometime between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., the Prince George resident said she pulled in on 43 Avenue to look at directions when another vehicle pulled up behind her blocking her in – a curb in front of her meant she couldn't move forward.
The driver then put on a full ski mask and got out and started to approach Wiebe's vehicle.
"As soon as we saw the ski mask I knew we were in trouble," Wiebe told iNFOnews.ca. "I drove over the curb."
What happened next is a bit of a blur.
"I went through red lights, I went through stop signs, I went through whatever I needed to do to get away," she said.
However, the other vehicle continued to follow her.
At one point the vehicle pulled up beside her and Wiebe thought he would shoot her, although she didn't see a weapon.
"I hammered on my brakes so he was in front of us and then he put his vehicle in reverse and tried to hit us from the front," she said.
Her daughter called 911 and the dispatcher guided them to the Vernon RCMP detachment.
She pulled into the police station parking lot and the other vehicle finally drove away.
Wiebe said there were at least two manned police cars sitting outside the detachment, but neither vehicle bothered to follow the vehicle that had just harassed her.
"I feel like what's the point in having 911 and calling... if they don't help you," she said. "Can I actually rely on the RCMP to come and help us when we need help? And if we can't rely on them what tools do we have to defend ourselves?"
A few minutes later an RCMP officer came out and spoke to Wiebe and she went into the station and gave a statement.
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Wiebe questions why the RCMP wasn't waiting to apprehend the harassing driver. After all, she had led him right to them. She assumes the dispatcher would have told them she was heading there.
However, it appears the Vernon RCMP didn't know she was on her way.
"It wasn’t until shortly after her arrival that the file was dispatched and officers became aware of the occurrence," Vernon North Okanagan RCMP Const. Chris Terleski said in an email.
Wiebe said the officer who took her statement was great and escorted her back to the Airbnb where they were staying.
However, she's a little dismayed at the lack of communication after the event. She said she's still waiting for a call after she left the RCMP a message two weeks ago.
Wiebe never got that call from Vernon RCMP until a few hours after iNFOnews.ca contacted them regarding this story. They told her she'd receive a call later this week from an officer working on the file.
Const. Terleski said the RCMP is investigating the incident.
"An investigation was immediately undertaken and as a result of that investigation, police have reason to believe there may have been some interaction between the woman and the driver of another vehicle leading up to the incident," Const. Terleski said.
The statement confuses Wiebe who said there was no interaction between her and any other driver prior to the incident.
While neither Wiebe nor her daughter were injured in any way, the altercation left her in shock.
"My daughter she was shaking so badly, she was pretty terrified," she said. "I feel like I am not safe."
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While Wiebe read the harassing driver's licence plate to the dispatcher only half the number was heard, so police can't easily track down the driver.
She thinks the vehicle was an older-style SUV, possibly a Jeep.
A business in the 4300 block of 43 Avenue does however have some grainy footage of the vehicle. Wiebe believes the business has spoken to the police.
Wiebe stayed in Vernon for a couple of days after the event for her daughter to compete in the Winter Games before heading back home.
The whole event left her shaken and with plenty of "what if" scenarios running through her mind.
It's also changed her opinion of the RCMP.
"I feel like they didn't take it seriously," she said. "If I had followed the laws that night I would not have got away, I broke so many laws that night... all of these things I did to keep myself safe."
The Vernon RCMP says it wants to find the other driver.
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"We would be interested in speaking to the driver of the other involved vehicle who may have information that could assist us in determining what occurred and ask that they please contact us," Const. Terleski said.
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