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(UPDATE: Aug. 17 @ 9:55 am) – The Kelowna RCMP continue to investigate a multiple vehicle collision that ended in a man fleeing into the forest of Kirschner Mountain Tuesday afternoon.
On Aug. 16, just after 5 pm, a RCMP officer was investigating an unrelated traffic collision at the intersection of Springfield Road and Durin Road when he watched a green hatchback collide with a school bus.
Police have confirmed that the crash on Springfield Road involving a vehicle and school bus was caused by the same green hatchback that garnered a massive police presence in the Kirschner Mountain area Tuesday evening. The suspect is still outstanding. #Kelowna pic.twitter.com/XUFR7eCICx
— KelownaNow (@KelownaNow) August 17, 2022
Fortunately, there were no passengers inside and the driver was not hurt.
The attending officer attempted to stop the hatchback, however, the driver fled the area.
A short while later the vehicle was spotted by officers and another traffic stop was attempted. The driver once again fled from police after a female passenger jumped out of the vehicle.
As the male driver attempted to leave the area, he struck a police vehicle and the female passenger.
The female passenger was uninjured and arrested before being released at the scene.
Later in the day, the vehicle was spotted in the 2000 block of Loseth Drive on Black Mountain and a witness reported seeing the male driver exit the vehicle and run into the forest.
“We take these incidents extremely seriously and would like to reassure the public that we will be working diligently to identify the driver, in order to hold him accountable for his actions,” Said Mark Booth, Sgt. in charge of the Kelowna RCMP Traffic Section.
Multiple Kelowna RCMP officers, the CFSEU and the RCMP Air Services and Police Dog Services were called in to help search for the man.
The man has yet to be located and the investigation continues.
Officers have determined that the license plate on the now impounded hatchback was not the correct one for the vehicle.
Anyone with more information is asked to call the RCMP at (250) 762-3300 and reference file 2022-51614/ 2022-51591.
(Original story: Aug. 16 @ 7:14 pm) – Residents in Kirschner Mountain are reporting a heavy police presence in the area.
A low-flying helicopter is currently circling the area, and there are multiple police vehicles in the streets.
Heavy police presence is being reported in the Kirschner Mountain area. A low-flying helicopter is observed circling the area in a video sent to @KelownaNow. #kelowna pic.twitter.com/rAuCAMZdBA
— Sarah Jones (@sarahdoesnews) August 17, 2022
Police are asking residents to stay inside and lock their doors for the time being.
Details are limited, but KelownaNow has reached out to the RCMP for comment.
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