A search for a man fleeing the scene of an MVI caused the closure of Highway 97.
Around 10:52 PM on the night of January 31st, 100 Mile House RCMP received reports of a motor vehicle collision in Lac La Hache. According to RCMP, a Pontiac Sunfire was driving in the wrong lane and collided with a tractor-trailer. When emergency services arrived on the scene, they located the heavily damaged Sunfire, but there was no one inside. Emergency services began to search for an ejected person, closing the highway.
A short time later, police received a call from a residence reporting a 33-year-old man with blood on his face stating he had been in a collision after being shot at. The man fled the location after the homeowner called the police.
The Police Service Dog (PDS) Team Grimm was called from Williams Lake to join the search for the injured man. Police say the barking patrol dog made the man reconsider his approach to the situation, and made himself available to RCMP. The man had minor injuries to his forehead and was intoxicated. No evidence at the scene or from witnesses supported the man’s claims of being shot at.
Highway 97 was closed for an hour and a half. RCMP are continuing to investigate this instance.