The white pickup truck that crashed on Bell Road Tuesday had been reported stolen earlier that morning from a driveway near Bernard elementary in Chilliwack.
The alleged driver crashed the truck, which knocked down a power pole on Bell Road, and ran from the scene, but was later taken into custody by RCMP.
Andrew Scott Charpentier, 29, of Chilliwack was arrested, and formally charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 and theft of a motor vehicle.
“Alert citizens immediately reporting suspicious activity to police played a primary role in the apprehension of the suspect,” said Cpl. Mike Rail spokesperson Chilliwack RCMP. “Fortunately no one was injured during the crash.”
The 2005 Ford truck had came to rest after spinning off the road in the crash, plowing through a wire fence, and into a tree.
The alleged driver was later taken into custody at Young Road near Reese Avenue, thanks to neighbours calling in descriptions, and details of the suspicious behaviour after the crash.
Chilliwack RCMP said they first received the initial crash reports on Dec. 14, at around 1 p.m. that a white pickup had struck a power pole in the 10,000-block of Bell Road, knocking down the pole and bringing down some lines.
“As police pursued their investigation officers identified the truck as a vehicle reported stolen to the Chilliwack RCMP earlier the same morning,” said Cpl. Mike Rail, spokesperson for Chilliwack RCMP.
The white Ford pickup had been reported stolen with a car seat and stroller inside.
As the search continued by officers, including RCMP frontline, Priority Target Team (PTT) and Community Response Team (CRT) resources, RCMP continued to field calls from the public with a description and whereabouts of the individual leading to police locating and arresting the suspect, on Young Road around 1:30 p.m. that afternoon.
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