Skip to content

UPDATED: Man arrested on Golden Ears Bridge

Prolific offender was driving stolen Ford pick up truck and led police through several cities. Police boxed him in on the bridge.
31183langleyP1200378
A police pursuit that ran through Surrey and Langley ended on the Golden Ears bridge Wednesday afternoon.

It's surprising no one was seriously injured or any major crashes took place when the driver of a stolen truck sped through numerous cities before being stopped by police on the Golden Ears Bridge on Wednesday afternoon.

A 32-yearold prolific offender from Coquitlam was arrested and taken away by ambulance around 4 p.m.

Northbound to the bridge was blocked for over an hour with only southbound lanes getting through, causing a commuting nightmare.

The incident started at 2 p.m., when Ridge Meadows RCMP officers tried to pull over the driver of a red Ford F150 pickup for speeding. The driver initially pulled over, then sped away towards Coquitlam on Lougheed Highway.

Police identified the pickup as having recently been stolen. As the truck proceeded through the Lower Mainland, RCMP Air One helicopter followed in the air.

“Both Coquitlam and Langley RCMP officers deployed spike belts numerous times to try and slow or stop the vehicle safely,” said Sgt. Annie Linteau, spokesperson for Lower Mainland RCMP.

“Unfortunately, the driver continued to drive dangerously, at times into incoming traffic.”

Eyewitnesses told The Times they saw the truck speeding west on the wrong side of the road along  the Fraser Highway through Langley.

At least one vehicle had to drive up on the sidewalk to avoid a collision.

For public safety reasons Ridge Meadows RCMP closed the Golden Ears bridge, and police managed to box the pickup safely in. By that point three of the truck’s tires had been deflated.

Emergency Response Team members were on scene and successfully arrested the driver, known to police as a prolific offender. He appeared in court  Feb. 19.

 

 



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
Read more