(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
January 18, 2016 - 1:40 PM
MERRITT - An Alberta man is facing numerous charges after a RCMP traffic stop on the Okanagan Connector turned into a high-speed chase on Friday.
Around 4:05 p.m., Jan. 15, officers with Central Interior Traffic Services conducted a speed enforcement watch on Highway 97C near Courtenay Lake, according to a media release. Police attempted to stop a westbound Ford pickup truck after noticing the driver was not wearing his seatbelt and had unsecured cargo in the cab.
During the attempt to stop the vehicle, the driver began swerving erratically and drove in the centre median of the road to evade police.
Traffic service members along with Merritt RCMP set up a barrier at the bottom of Hamilton hill, but the driver continued at a high rate of speed through the road block and attempted to turn left on the southbound ramp towards Vancouver.
Sgt. Mike Pears says the driver lost control, missed the turnoff and slid down an embankment.
While the truck stayed upright, the man behind the wheel and his passenger exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. Both were taken into custody and transported to the Merritt detachment. No one was injured during the incident.
A Red Deer, Alta. man is facing charges of possession of stolen property, failing to stop for police, dangerous driving and breaching conditions on his Red Deer charges. He is set to appear in Kamloops Provincial Court today, Jan. 18.
The woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was released from custody, but faces a charge of possessing a break-in instrument. She will appear in Merritt court at a later date.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016