Police use dog, plane to capture suspects
Mounties pulled out all the stops Tuesday following a report of stolen truck ramming another vehicle near Mount Baldy east of Oliver.
Police say officers were called out around 9 a.m. by a Good Samaritan who reported he was following a stolen truck on McKinney Road. The stolen truck then rammed the Good Samaritan’s vehicle, after which the three occupants of the stolen truck fled into the bush, setting off a foot chase through deep snow.
“Officers from the Oliver and Osoyoos RCMP converged on the area where they located the (Good Samaritan) as well as a Ford F250 pickup truck that had been stolen from West Kelowna on March 26, 2024,” said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Jason Bayda in a press release.
“Two women, a 22-year-old from Vernon and a 38-year-old from Oliver, who fled from the stolen truck were quickly located in the bushes in close proximity to the road. The driver, a 27-year-old man from Williams Lake, was located after an extensive search in the outback utilizing RCMP Air Services as well as a police service dog from Penticton.”
Bayda also noted “the dedication of our dog handler and cover officer who trekked through nearly 5 kilometres of snow and steep terrain under the watchful eyes in the sky of our skilled pilot.”
No on was injured in the incident, and all three suspects were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. The male suspect faces additional charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and breach of probation. No names have been released pending first court appearances.