KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops man has learned the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished.
David Retzer witnessed a serious car crash Friday afternoon on Columbia Street – and like any good samaritan, he stopped, got out of his car and offered help.
What Retzer didn’t know was that he would quickly become the victim of a carjacking apparently by the very people responsible for causing the car crash.
After numerous alleged lottery ticket thefts, a motor vehicle collision, and an apparent carjacking, two suspects were finally arrested in Vernon Saturday, May 28.
A 42-year-old man and 33-year-old woman allegedly crashed their white SUV into a vehicle on 8th Ave. and Columbia St. Friday afternoon.
David Retzer witnessed the collision and quickly got out of his vehicle to check on the victims and call 911.
“As I did this, the driver of the white SUV that caused the accident came out of his vehicle and approached mine and just got right into the driver’s seat and just (took) over vehicle,” he said.
Retzer says the suspects took off while he stayed to help the other couple injured in the crash.
“One was unconscious and one was kind of barely conscious, I wouldn’t consider not responsive at all,” Retzer said. “But, they got hit pretty hard.”
The couple remains in hospital.
RCMP say the suspects are also believed to have been involved in numerous lottery ticket thefts in Kamloops and police had spotted their white SUV Friday afternoon before the crash occurred.
The unoccupied suspect vehicle had been spotted by an officer on the North Shore. As the officer was waiting for the vehicle to be towed, two suspects got into the vehicle and drove away.
RCMP spotted the vehicle once more on the South Shore. For the sake of public safety the vehicle was not pursued by police.
The collision on 8th Ave. and Columbia St. occurred shortly after that sighting.
On Saturday, more lottery tickets were stolen, this time in Vernon.
Vernon RCMP located the suspects in the stolen vehicle and arrested them.
Charges are pending and, as there were injuries, the Independent Investigation Office of BC is investigating police actions.
