A 43-year-old Cranbrook man is facing several serious charges, including possession of stolen property and stolen firearms, after leading RCMP officers on a high-speed chase that ended in the parking lot of the Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Spa in Osoyoos.
Officers from the Osoyoos RCMP detachment received a call at 9:45 a.m. on Jan. 23 after they received reports of a stolen Dodge Dakota pickup truck from the Boundary region.
The driver evaded officers who attempted to stop him in the Boundary area and when Osoyoos officers tried to stop him on Hwy. 3, the male occupant sped away at a high rate of speed and ignored lights and sirens.
The driver continued to lead officers on a high-speed chase, but the chase ended when he drove up towards Spirit Ridge and his vehicle came to a stop near an embankment in the parking lot.
After officers placed the driver under arrest, they searched the vehicle and found several stolen firearms reported missing from a recent break and enter from a residence in Midway. The accused made his first court appearance at the Penticton Courthouse on Monday and was remanded in custody until his second appearance on Wednesday.
The man is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen weapons, dangerous driving, leading police on a pursuit, unauthorized possession of firearms, theft, break and enter and breach of recognizance.
Tractor trailer ends up in ditch
Officers from the Osoyoos detachment were called to the scene after a tractor-trailer slid off the road and ended up in the ditch on Hwy. 3 about 15 kilometres from Osoyoos up Anarchist Mountain around 10:50 a.m. on Jan. 23.
The driver declined medical assistance once officers arrived and waited until a tow truck arrived to remove the tractor-trailer from the ditch. No charges will be filed.
Woman falls asleep while driving
No charges will be filed after a 25-year-old Osoyoos woman fell asleep behind the wheel and struck a meridian on Hwy. 97 near the Shell gas station in Osoyoos around 10:30 on Jan. 25.
The driver had just completed a long shift at work and fell asleep behind the wheel and knocked down a traffic warning signal located in the meridian, say police. Her vehicle suffered substantial damage as a result of the incident. No criminal charges will be filed.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
