Stolen pickup found ablaze after leading Vernon RCMP on chase
A stolen pickup truck was spotted at the scene of a crime in Vernon, and police later found it engulfed in flames.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP are investigating the series of events involving a stolen white Ford F250 over the weekend, according to a press release from police.
The truck was reported stolen from the 3400-block of 16 Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on March 2.
Roughly an hour later police responded to an alarm at a business on Industrial Avenue. Police discovered someone had gotten into the building, but RCMP didn’t find anyone so it believes the suspects had fled.
Police found out that the white pickup was seen leaving the area heading westbound on Highway 6 towards Vernon, and the truck reportedly had a noticeable trail of sparks coming off the back of it.
Police coordinated a response with patrol officers when the truck was found at College Way and Highway 97 in Vernon. Officers attempted a traffic stop but the truck but it fled from police.
RCMP quickly found it at a nearby cul-de-sac but it rammed a police car before driving through a fence into a parking lot and got away.
Later in the night, Vernon Fire Rescue were called to a vehicle fire involving a white Ford pickup in the 3500-block of Centennial Drive around 3:15 a.m. When police arrived the truck was completely engulfed in flames as firefighters attempted to put the blaze out.
“While the fire department was battling the fire, our officers canvassed the area for potential witnesses or video surveillance of the incident," Cpl. Tania Finn said in the release. “The fire is considered suspicious and police believe all these incidents to be related.”
RCMP are still investigating and anyone with any information has been asked to contact Const. Krista Boudreau at the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP non-emergency line of 250-545-7171. Or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leaving a tip online.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. Find our Journalism Ethics policy here.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
