A 100 Mile House man was arrested Tuesday (Feb. 25) after trying to flee from the police with a stolen truck pulling heavy equipment on a trailer.
At approximately 8:08 a.m. on Feb. 25, a Quesnel resident observed a man who was driving a Ford one-ton pickup stealing a Bobcat and trailer from a property on Hydraulic Road in Quesnel, according to a news release from the Quesnel RCMP, issued Friday, Feb. 28.
The witness obtained the licence plate of the truck, and police learned the vehicle was stolen that same morning from a residence on Arbutus Road.
An Arrow Transport truck driver reported the truck and trailer were travelling southbound on Highway 97 at Alexandria, and members of the Quesnel General Investigations Section caught up to the vehicle and conducted surveillance with an unmarked police vehicle until other police resources were in place, according to the release.
The Williams Lake RCMP and the Cariboo Crime Reduction Unit set up a roadblock on Highway 97 near Wildwood.
Police say the driver tried to avoid the roadblock by turning down a rural driveway but subsequently got stuck in the snow. The lone occupant of the truck was taken into custody without incident.
“The accurate and timely information provided by the witnesses assisted in a co-ordinated takedown of the person responsible,” Sgt. Richard Weseen, the Media Relations Officer for the Quesnel RCMP, said in the release. “This incident is a prime example that property crime offenders travel throughout jurisdictions to commit crime. In many of the incidents, they are in possession of weapons and drugs and will attempt to flee, putting the police and public at risk.”
The male, a resident of 100 Mile House, was arrested for possession of stolen property over $5,000, flight from police, possession of a weapon dangerous to public purpose, possession of a controlled substance, breach of an undertaking, and driving while prohibited.
Police say he was released on an undertaking for court in Williams Lake, and his name is not being released at this time.
READ MORE: Off-duty RCMP officer helps catch Cache Creek car thief
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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