UPDATE: 2 Alberta men suspects in Holbein, Sask. gas and dash
RCMP are searching for two men after the owner of a gas station in Holbein, Sask., was injured after allegedly being hit by a pickup truck during a gas and dash.
Shellbrook RCMP said two men fuelled their truck at around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday and then reportedly tried to leave without paying.
The owner, a 52-year-old man, tried to stop them by jumping into the driver’s side of the cabin, but the driver responded by allegedly driving aggressively through the parking lot until the owner was thrown from the truck, police said.
The suspects are then believed to have driven away to the west.
Parkland Ambulance said they treated one person at the scene and then took him to hospital in stable condition.
The owner, Trent Riel, told Global News he has a broken bone in his left leg and what he calls “road rash” from the gravel in the parking lot.
Riel said he had a “vibe” something was happening when one of the suspects left the store to head back to the truck before paying.
“I followed him out to his truck and he kind of quickened up his step, jump in his truck, shut the door and started it and started pulling away,” Riel said.
Riel said he made a split-second decision to take the action he did.
“I figured I could just reach in and turn the truck off and grab the key and then I got caught up on the driver’s ledge with my arm in the window.”
“I probably shouldn’t have did what I did.”
Police are looking for a matte black Ford F-350 Harley Davidson edition pickup truck which appears to have been fully coated in rocker guard/box liner material.
One suspect caught on surveillance video was wearing an Atlanta Braves baseball cap with a red brim, a black hoodie with large white text on the front, and glasses.
There is no description of the second suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Shellbrook RCMP at 306-747-2606 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.