One man is in custody after leading RCMP on a chase then crashing his car and attempting to flee into the Salmo river.
The 39-year-old man, who was wearing a bracelet identifying him as a crew member of the Shambhala Music Festival, was stopped for speeding Thursday at about 3:30 p.m., according to a West Kootenay Traffic release.
He fled in his vehicle east toward Salmo. Police eventually called off the pursuit but were able to flatten one of the suspect’s tires with a spike strip.
The suspect then crashed his vehicle between Highway 3 and the Salmo river. He tried lighting his vehicle on fire and ran into the river where he was apprehended.
“The actions of this male put numerous people’s lives at risk and we are thankful no one was hurt,” said RCMP Sgt. Chad Badry in a statement.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was allegedly breaching several conditions related to a probation order and undertaking.
It’s not clear if the man was actually working at the music festival. Badry told the Star that the bracelets were given by the festival to a contractor, who then handed them out.
“Due to how the bracelets were handed out, the Shambhala organization was not able to assist with identifying the male,” reads the release.
A spokesperson for Shambhala did not reply to a request for comment.
Police are asking witnesses who saw the man driving a dark red Dodge or what he did following the crash to contact them at 250-354-5180.
