A thwarted attempt to pull over a Ford F350 tied to a property crime in Kelowna, B.C., sent RCMP into the skies on what turned out to be a perilous ride for the suspects.
The chase started Wednesday morning, when Kelowna RCMP attempted to stop the truck and it took off.
“RCMP surveillance units and Air Services were able to locate the vehicle while it was driving dangerously while leaving Kelowna and into the Vernon Area,” RCMP said in a press release.
“The vehicle disregarded red lights, and used the shoulder of the roadways to pass vehicles on the right.”
At 10:45 a.m. around an hour after the Kelowna encounter, Salmon Arm cops positioned themselves in a rural area where a spike belt was deployed.
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“After driving over the spike belt, the vehicle then began to flee as the front tires deflated and continued to drive while the tire or tires disintegrated,” RCMP said.
“The driver eventually lost control of the vehicle a short distance from the spike belt deployment, and the vehicle went off-road to the right and into a deep mud and water-filled ditch where it came to an abrupt stop.”
Mounties said Thursday that two people in the vehicle attempted to escape by jumping out of the sunroof of the truck, and were taken into custody by RCMP Emergency Response Team Members in a field within sight of the truck.
The two men were checked at hospital, with one male released to police custody and the other held for observation of minor non-life-threatening injuries while under RCMP guard.
The two males were found to have warrants for their arrest from Fort St. John, Salmon Arm and Kamloops. One male was also found to be in breach by being in a motor vehicle and not residing where he was directed to reside in Fort St. John.
Neither of the men reside in Salmon Arm, but local police know one of them.
Both the Kelowna and Salmon Arm RCMP are still investigating this incident and other incidents that these two may have been involved in.