Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By James Peters

Police Situation

UPDATE: Suspect in custody after Sahali retail theft, crash

Jan 19, 2021 | 3:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — UPDATED: Kamloops RCMP say they’ve arrested one man after a retail theft and stolen vehicle incident led to a crash on the Trans Canada Highway this afternoon (Jan. 19).

Cst. Crystal Evelyn says in a release around 12:18 p.m, officers responded to a reported theft from a retail store along the 500 block of Notre Dame Drive.

A man allegedly stole several hundred dollars worth of merchandise, fled the store, and took off in a brown truck. As he left the scene, the license plate number was taken down, and it was confirmed that the truck was stolen.

Evelyn says frontline officers found the vehicle shortly after and the RCMP helicopter was brought in to get a visual on the truck as it drove erratically through the city. At one point the truck drove eastbound into oncoming westbound traffic before side-swiping another vehicle and landing in the ditch alongside the Trans Canada Highway.

No injuries were reported.

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The man then took off on foot into the nearby neighbourhood and schools in the area were placed on a hold and secure while police conducted a search.

With the assistance of the Police Dog Services Unit, Evelyn says the suspect was found hiding in a compost bin on the 800 block of Robinson Crescent and taken into custody.

The investigation is ongoing and at this time, police have no further information to release.

PREVIOUS: It’s believed a crash on the Trans Canada Highway in Kamloops this afternoon is related to police situation not far away near SouthKam Secondary School.

WATCH: RCMP in action near SouthKam Secondary (Video Credit: Contributed / Faceook-Meeshy Mee)

At about 2:00 p.m., witnesses reported a truck speeding eastbound down the westbound lanes of the Trans Canada before hitting several vehicles.

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

A caller to B-100 who identified himself as Shane said his wife was nearly caught up in the incident.

“She came around the corner and she saw a helicopter above her, and then she looked down and there was a truck heading toward her. She just got out of his way and he smashed into two cars behind her, and I guess he took off from there on foot.”

RCMP crews were on scene quickly. It’s believed they tracked a suspect down near SouthKam Secondary, which is what led to a police presence and brief security alert at both SouthKam and Kamloops School of the Arts.

Kamloops RCMP have yet to issue a statement on the incident.

Image Credit: Contributed / Nathan Ritchie

Nathan Ritchie sent CFJC Today a photo of RCMP cruisers apparently trying to block in a Dodge Ram on the Summit Connector just before the crash on the Trans Canada occurred. The Ram appears to match one of the vehicles at the crash scene.