Police in the Okanagan are searching for a 42-year-old man with an outstanding warrant for his arrest after he allegedly caused a traffic accident east of Osoyoos, B.C., and fled the scene.
According to the South Okanagan RCMP, Jeffrey Pelly was driving a Nissan Pathfinder on Highway 3 when he sideswiped a Ford F-150 that was towing a tent trailer. Police say the noon-time accident, which took place 25 kilometres east of Osoyoos, caused extensive damage to both vehicles, with the Ford F-150 being rendered inoperable.
Police say the accident blocked Highway 3 for approximately an hour and 45 minutes, adding the Ford F-150 driver and her two young children were shaken by the incident.
Police also said Pelly — who is wanted on an outstanding warrant for failing to comply with a probation order — fled the scene in his Pathfinder but wound up ditching the vehicle a short distance away before fleeing into nearby bushes.
Police say they searched the area for several hours with Penticton K9 and Kelowna air assistance but did not locate him.
Pelly is described as a white man who is approximately five-foot-nine with a slim build. He was last seen wearing dark pants, a light-coloured shirt, a red hat and a black backpack.
Police are asking drivers to refrain from picking up hitchhikers and to call 911 if anyone matching Pelly’s description is seen in the area.