Armed suspect, stolen truck report reason for lengthy Coquihalla closure: RCMP

MERRITT, B.C. — An update from Merritt RCMP shed light on a multi-hour closure for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt Wednesday.

In a news release Thursday (Nov. 24) morning, RCMP say two men and a woman were arrested after a black Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck that was stolen out of Coquitlam was seen travelling on Highway 5 near the Coquihalla Summit at around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 23).

Police say they initiated a traffic stop, but the truck fled the scene and drove down a side road. The three occupants ran from the vehicle once it became stuck, however initial witnesses reported than one of the suspects had possession of a firearm.

“Out of an abundance of caution the highway was closed for several hours while we searched the area for these suspects,” Sgt. Josh Roda says. “Without knowing their identities or their intentions, and reports indicating they were armed, we felt it was best to keep all members of the public from the scene.”