Naked man steals truck, leads police on dangerous chase
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | 9:39 AM PT
CBC News
A police chase began around 6:30 a.m. Monday when a man showed up naked at a farm in Maple Ridge, B.C., and then stole the farm's truck and pair of coveralls. (Global TV) A man was arrested after a dramatic police pursuit of a five-tonne truck on the Lougheed Highway near the Haney bypass during the morning rush hour Monday in the Metro Vancouver suburb of Maple Ridge.
RCMP Const. Dave Babineau said the incident began around 6:30 a.m. PT when a 49-year-old man showed up naked at a Maple Ridge farm, then stole the farm's truck and pair of coveralls to wear.
The truck was reported stolen and police had it pulled over before the chase began, Babineau said.
"The officers actually approached the vehicle and again the man showed very irrational behaviour and told officers that he was going to drive the truck to a bridge and blow it up and they would never catch him," said Babineau.
The driver of the truck fled on foot after the truck came to a halt in an oncoming lane on the Lougheed Highway. (CBC) "So, at that time, not knowing what was going on, for their safety, the officers backed off, not knowing if this man was armed, that he was irrational, that he may have had explosives with him, so they backed off and he drove off in the truck again," said Babineau.
Local television stations broadcast the pursuit live using footage taken from traffic helicopters showing the truck swerving through traffic in both directions on the highway while driving on blown-out tires with several police cars in pursuit.
The truck also made several U-turns in busy intersections and hit a parked RCMP vehicle before the driver stopped the truck and began running from the vehicle.
Seconds later, while running on foot down the highway, the man was hit by an unmarked police SUV involved in the pursuit.
The man was taken away by police in an ambulance around 7:30 a.m. with minor injuries, but traffic on the Lougheed Highway eastbound was affected for several hours while police investigated.
