Suspects land in muddy ditch after police chase from Kelowna to Salmon Arm

RCMP have a pair of suspects in custody following a car chase yesterday that started in Kelowna, continued through Vernon, and ended in a muddy ditch in Salmon Arm.

Officers in Kelowna tried to stop a Ford F-350 pickup at around 9:15 a.m. yesterday, Sept. 6, wanted in connection to a property crime in the city, according to an RCMP media release. The driver didn't stop for police and took off.

RCMP cruisers and air services were able to locate the truck as it ran through red lights and used the shoulder lane to dangerously swerve around traffic on its way out of Kelowna to Vernon.

At 10:45 a.m., Salmon Arm plainclothes members positioned themselves in a rural area the truck was headed into and deployed a spike belt across the road. 

The truck hit the belt but continued driving as its tires disintegrated. The driver only made it a short distance past the spike belt before veering off the road into a deep muddy and waterlogged ditch.

The two suspects tried to escape out of the sunroof of the vehicle. Officers were able to arrest them and take them into custody.

The drivers were two males who were found to have warrants for their arrest in Fort St. John, Salmon Arm and Kamloops. One of the men was in breach of court order by being in a motor vehicle and not residing where he was directed to in Fort St. John. One of them men was known to police but neither reside in Salmon Arm.

The two men were checked in at a local hospital. One was released into police custody and the other has been held for observation for non-life-threatening injuries but remains under RCMP guard.

Both the Kelowna and Salmon Arm RCMP are still investigating this incident and other incidents that these two may have been involved in.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Georgina Whitehouse or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.