Note: This story has been updated from it’s original version, and the version that appears in the Mar. 5 issue of the Arrow Lakes News, with new information from the RCMP.
A vehicle that was left in the Nakusp arena parking lot overnight this weekend was crashed into and caught fire sometime early Sunday morning.
Sheila Seaton was woken up by the RCMP not long after 6 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 2, with the news that her 2002 Nissan Xterra had caught fire and been destroyed sometime that night.
She had left it in the arena parking lot the previous night after leaving the curling bonspiel.
“I was trying to do the responsible thing. I left the vehicle in a lit parking lot and got a safe ride home, and this is what happens,” she told the Arrow Lakes News.
Her vehicle was one of two that got smashed into.
Seaton said she had a number of valuables in the car, including her CD collection, two brand new pairs of boots, cross-country ski gear and more.
Nakusp RCMP are investigating the incident, which happened sometime between 4:30—5 a.m.
“There was some kind of a collision at the parking lot at the arena and either they caught fire or were set on fire,” said Const. Paul Tithecott of the Nakusp RCMP on Monday morning. “We don’t really know at this point, it’s still under investigation.
“There was a collision, one went into the other. We’re not exactly sure the chain of events after that except they both caught fire.”
On Wednesday, Const. Mark Macaulay, the investigating officer, told the Arrow Lakes News that it appears Seaton’s car was crashed into by another vehicle and they both caught fire.
“It looks like one vehicle was parked and the other vehicle was moving and collided with the parked vehicle,” he said.
