Dauphin man calls 911 from stolen pickup truck’s box during wild ride

WINNIPEG – A Manitoba man had a wild ride in the back of his pickup after he jumped into its box and dialled 911 as it was driven away.

The truck owner was working in his yard on Fourth Avenue SE in Dauphin, Man., on Thursday when he heard his truck start up and saw a woman begin to pull away, RCMP said in a news release.

He jumped into the box of the truck as she drove off and called 911.

He didn’t go very far before the truck crashed into a hydro pole, causing extensive damage to both the truck and the pole. Neither the driver nor the truck owner riding in the back were injured, police said.

“The pole had to be replaced,” Const. Robert Tuff said.

RCMP officers who responded to his 911 call said the woman appeared heavily intoxicated when police arrived.

Samantha Jessica Chartrand, 30, of Dauphin, is charged with a number of offences, including theft of a motor vehicle, impaired driving and refusing to provide a breath sample. She is being held in custody and is scheduled to appear in a Dauphin courtroom on Sept. 15.

Tuff said it’s better to observe and report a crime and allow police to deal with the lawbreaker.

“Luckily he had his cellphone with him,” he said about the truck owner.