A Surrey man’s alleged carjacking crime spree from Abbotsford to Langley ended with a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 1 and his arrest by Langley RCMP officers on Wednesday night (May 13).
Charges have now been laid 32-year-old Matt Cory Dickinson, who remains in police custody.
The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) said they received a report just after 6:30 p.m. of a single-vehicle collision on Highway 1 at Mt. Lehman Road, but that witnesses saw the driver run away before officers arrived.
Less than 45 minutes later, the APD received a report of a man breaking into two residences on Locklin Court. The first house was unoccupied, but the second was not.
When the suspect allegedly broke into the second home, he confronted the homeowners and forced them to hand over the keys to their truck, according to police.
Police said several witnesses phoned 911 to report that the truck was “driving aggressively and dangerously” westbound on Highway 1 before it sideswiped two vehicles and crashed into the centre median on the freeway at 212 Street in Langley.
“Thanks to a huge number of witnesses, we were able to track him. It was pretty amazing, right from accident number one to Langley,” said Sgt. Judy Bird, APD media officer. “A huge amount of people called in about a suspicious person.”
The man ran away after the crash and attempted to carjack several other vehicles that were driving in the opposite direction on the highway, police said.
He was taken into custody by Langley RCMP officers after a short foot chase.
The suspect was taken to hospital after the arrest and has since been released, Bird said. She said that three other drivers who were hit by the suspect’s vehicle were also transported to hospital with minor injuries.
Dickinson has been charged with forcible confinement, robbery, uttering threats, theft of a vehicle, dangerous driving and two counts of break-and-enter. He does not have any previous charges in B.C., according to the provincial court database.
The APD and Langley RCMP are continuing their investigations into the incident, and would like to speak with the three drivers the suspect allegedly tried to carjack on the freeway. They are also interested in any CCTV, dashcam footage or information for their investigations.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the APD’s major crime unit: 604-859-5225.
RELATED: VIDEO: Police chase turns into multi-car collision on Highway One in Langley
