Vehicle thieves and fleeing drivers have been keeping Chase police hopping recently.
In an incident on April 26, a thief appeared to have survived some vehicle acrobatics.
Chase RCMP received a report that a vehicle had rolled over in a big dust cloud, just east of the Highway 97 junction with Highway 1.
Sgt. Barry Kennedy reports that a Plymouth Sundance was left in the middle of the highway with no one around. Police observed the vehicle had been travelling westbound on Highway 1, and appeared to have been possibly going off road to the right and over-corrected back to the road.
The vehicle then proceeded across the westbound lanes, into the grass median, which caused the vehicle to roll and then land on all four wheels in the eastbound lane.
Police called the registered owner of the vehicle who advised that his vehicle was stolen. The driver was not located and no suspects were identified.
Read more: Couple in crash on Highway 1 mistake North Shuswap for Lower Mainland
Two days earlier, on April 24, just before 11 a.m, Chase RCMP went to the Canco Gas Station near Chase. There officers report they approached a black, two-door coupe-type vehicle, Acura-style, with a lone man seated behind the driver’s seat.
When the man saw the police car approaching he put the vehicle in gear and quickly accelerated onto Highway 1, narrowly missing a collision with a vehicle pulling in, reports Kennedy. Police activated the emergency equipment and followed, heading west on the highway.
“The vehicle had a big cloud of blue smoke behind as it took off fast westbound.”
Police report the vehicle pulled out into oncoming traffic while travelling at a high rate of speed, estimated at 170 km/hr. Kamloops RCMP were notified and also attempted to stop the vehicle but it evaded them. Police weren’t able to locate it.
Read more: Chase RCMP arrest two after speeding vehicle crashes head-on with semi truck
That same day, April 24, just after noon, Chase RCMP report that officers responded to a vehicle that had gone off Highway 1 going up Jade Mountain westbound and over the embankment.
Kennedy reports a man was seen coming up the embankment. He told a passerby not to call police and started to leave. When officers arrived, they discovered the vehicle had been stolen out of Kelowna.
Police report they were able to locate a 30-year-old man who was arrested for possession of stolen property and driving while prohibited.
newsroom@saobserver.netLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
