It has been a busy few days for the Elk Valley RCMP, according to Sgt. Svend Nielsen.
First, on May 1, 2023 just after 6:30 p.m. an Elk Valley officer was patrolling Fernie when there were reports of a lifted Chevy truck doing donuts near the boat launch. Witnesses say he almost hit a family walking in the area, and reported that they believe the driver was impaired.
The officer located the truck James White Park and stopped it. The driver appeared to cooperate and pulled over While the officer was completing checks on the truck, the driver slowly pulled away, waving his arm out the window and looking back at the officer.
While clear identification was not made during the stop, the licence number was known to police.
When the truck had driven slowly about a few hundred feet from the initial stop, the officer hit the siren briefly. At this point, Nielsen reports that the driver accelerated. The officer shut off the siren, as he believed the driver was not gong to stop for police. While the officer waited at the site of the stop, two more calls were received about dangerous driving behaviour in the truck. The truck was not located that evening.
On May 2, just before 9 a.m., the RCMP were called to the Elko are for a report of an impaired driver at a work site. Police confirmed that the man involved in this complaint was driving the same Chevy truck with matching licence plates.
Surveillance video was obtained. Police say the driver appeared to be having some medical concerns and was transported to Fernie Hospital for treatment. In the meantime, the officer checked the vehicle and deemed it unsafe for the road.
Upon arriving at the hospital, police learned that the driver had consumed drugs prior to driving the truck to work. He was given a 24 hour prohibition related to drug use. The man, a 37-year old Fernie local, denied driving the vehicle, but being presented with the surveillance video, accepted the prohibition.
Police believe he is the same man who fled from them the night before, Nielsen says, and the investigation is continuing.
Anyone with information can contact Elk Valley RCMP at 250-425-6233 to provide their statement to an officer, or a person can choose to provide their evidence anonymously by contacting BC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477). Please refer to file 2023-1172.
Also on May 1, the Elk Valley RCMP were performing patrols in the west Fernie area when an officer saw a white Mercedes parked at a condo unit. The officer ran the vehicles plate number and it came back as stolen from Nanaimo. Further investigation by the officer, not act the car was related to a person of interest in a number of fraud complaints in the Elk Valley region.
The car was loaded onto a tow truck, which led to the person of interest approached and asked why his car was being towed. The 44-year old man was arrested. Police say a search of the vehicle produced items related to other ongoing investigations in the area. the man was released on Undertaking with conditions. The car is being held to return it to the registered owner.
On May 4 2023, Elk Valley RCMP had a report of a residential break and enter to an address in the 1400 block of Matevic Road in Sparwood. The unknown suspect(s) entered the rural property through the front door, eventually breaking their way into a gun cabinet and making their way from the residence with a shotgun, ammunition and several tools. Available security footage is being reviewed by Police. The Forensic Identification Services section attended the scene. The investigation is ongoing, file 2023-1207 refers.
On May 6 2023 at 2:01 PM, Elk Valley RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter in the 1200 block of Matevic Road in Sparwood. The complainant reports two unknown males had been seen in their yard and some items had been vandalized and some stolen. Things stolen from the property are mainly related to vehicles, including an axle to a vehicle on site. Witnesses on scene report seeing two males on the property in the days prior to the theft, which may have occurred earlier in the week. The investigation is ongoing, file 2023-1227 refers.
Anyone with information on these or other files within the Elk Valley Regional RCMP area can contact RCMP at 250-425-6233 to speak with an officer or anyone can provide their information anonymously by contacting BC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477). Please refer to the file number when providing your information.