Teens could be charged after trucks damage hayfield
Two teenage boys could face criminal charges for allegedly tearing up a farmer’s hayfield in their pickup trucks, Central Saanich Police say.
Deputy Chief Derren Lench said Monday that police received a report from the manager of Longview Farms in Saanichton about 8:30 p.m. Saturday that there were two trucks stuck in one of his fields.
A subsequent investigation determined that the vehicles had been roaring around the field, leaving deep ruts and causing about $6,000 to $7,000 in damage.
Lench said police found three 17-year-old boys at the scene — two of whom are alleged to have been the drivers of the vehicles.
Police intend to forward a report to Crown counsel recommending charges of mischief to private property over $5,000. Lench said it’s likely a case that will be considered for some form of restorative justice.
“It’s going to be a lot of human effort to get that field back to a place where it’s going to yield a hay crop,” he said. “The deep ruts into the mud and just the general tire tracks are going to create some challenges.”
In a note posted on its Facebook page, Longview Farms said the incident would result in thousands of dollars in lost revenue, field maintenance and repairs.
“We cannot cut hay with this much damage as it would [damage] the haying equipment,” the note said. “We hay over 100 acres of land and the bales are a revenue source for the farm.”
The post referred to the incident as a “terrible example of ignorance and disrespect.”
“Please spread the word that this type of senseless ‘fun’ is at a farmer’s expense,” the note said. “It has far-reaching effects that make an already challenging industry harder to manage. This is a direct attack on farmers and their livelihood and needs to stop.”