West Shore RCMP say that a 54-year-old man tried to casually walk away, then hid in a bush to try and evade police after wrapping a stolen truck around a fire hydrant.
At around 1:17 a.m. on Friday, December 9th, RCMP received a call from a resident of Langford in the 900-block of Dunford Avenue.
Police say the caller reported a Ford F-150 truck had driven into a fire hydrant, the vehicle was stuck on the hydrant and the driver was attempting to free the truck by reversing out.
According to police, the 54-year-old man who had struck the hydrant then tried to walk away from the scene and when a police officer arrived, he attempted to hide behind a bush to evade them.
Police say the suspect was caught despite his efforts to hide and he showed signs of alcohol impairment.
Upon further investigating the truck, officers learned that the F-150 he was driving was stolen in Saanich on Monday and several items within the vehicle were stolen from a residence that was broken into in the 900-block of Dunford Avenue mere hours before the collision.
The suspect was arrested for impaired driving as well as theft over $5,000.
Police say he was released following being taken into custody with a court date in early 2023 and several stringent conditions.
