Man in custody after brazen car-jacking at Fort, Foul Bay

A Victoria man is in police custody after a wild early morning car-jacking in downtown Victoria Friday, police say.

Several people called 911 after watching a man jump into the back of a pickup truck at Fort Street and Foul Bay Road, smash the back window and threaten the female driver, Victoria police said.

Fearing for her safety, the woman stopped the truck and fled, police said. The car-jacker then got behind the wheel and drove away, heading against traffic on Johnson Street.

Oncoming traffic swerved to get out of the way, but the stolen truck collided with one vehicle and almost hit a cyclist.

The cyclist swerved to avoid the truck, but fell doing so, police say. Then the truck struck a second vehicle, which was parked.

The stolen truck came to a stop with its engine running in the 1100 block of Johnson and the driver fled.

Officers arrived and found the suspect a short distance away. He was arrested without incident, and was taken first to cells and then to hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries before being returned to custody, pending charges.

Police say the incident remains under investigation and are asking any witnesses who have not yet spoken to officers to call the non-emergency line at 250-995-7654.