Area RCMP used a helicopter, multiple ground teams and GPS location tracking to hunt down a stolen truck and arrest the alleged thief on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Pursuit of the suspect came to an abrupt end after the pickup truck crashed into a ditch on Township Road 564 near Highway 777 and the lone male driver was arrested.
“We had the police dog there and the helicopter and all the resources we needed and it worked out really well,” said Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds.
“At the end of the day, unfortunately the truck was wrecked, but that’s due to the driving habits of this criminal. He’s in jail where he belongs and everybody else is safe.”
Police were alerted to the crime by the pickup’s owner after it was stolen in St. Albert earlier that day. The owner used the truck’s GPS tracking to direct officers to its location.
“We had really good help from the owner of the truck,” Dodds said. “He was able to access the GPS and give us updates minute-by-minute as to the direction of travel and how fast it was going.”
An RCMP helicopter, which was in the area on unrelated business, followed the stolen truck at a distance until the driver hit the ditch.
Police then swiftly moved in to apprehend the suspect.
“It was just good fortune that the helicopter happened to be passing our area and heard what we were doing and they pitched in to help,” Dodds said.
“It was myself and one other member following behind this truck at about a mile and we got on a straight stretch. I think he spotted us and when he was out of sight he accelerated, lost control and rolled the truck.”
The helicopter crew captured the events leading up to, and after the collision with onboard cameras.
Along with the chopper, officers form Westlock, Barrhead and Stony Plain were involved in capturing the suspect, as well as the K-9 unit.
“We’re certainly used to working with the members from Westlock. Westlock and Barrhead, it’s almost seamless now we work together so often,” Dodds said.
“It’s always gratifying to me to see how quickly members pull together and work on something like this.”
The single occupant of the pickup truck at the time of the crash, was arrested.
He received a minor laceration to his head during collision and was taken by ambulance to Westlock hospital where he was treated and released into police custody the same day.
Trent Derek Thor Thompson, 29, from Edmonton, will appear in Barrhead Provincial Court Nov. 10 after being refused bail during an out-of-court hearing.
He’s charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and two other charges related to breaching his existing bail conditions.
