Hope – Hope RCMP Weekly Wrap – March 23 to 29:
Some of the key files and activities from the week.
- Total Calls for service: 103
- Crimes against persons: 5
- Property crimes: 4
- Mental health calls: 6
- Traffic collisions: 11
- Impaired Driving: 2
Officers from Boston Bar responded to a motor vehicle incident on the Trans-Canada Highway north of Boston Bar involving two semi-trucks and one pickup truck. A large boulder on the highway is a contributing factor in the collision. One driver sustained injuries and was trapped inside their vehicle. Yale Fire Department and Search and Rescue attended the scene and assisted in removing the injured driver, who was transported to hospital for treatment. The Trans-Canada Highway was closed for several hours while tow trucks removed all three vehicles and crews cleared debris from the roadway.
Distraction-theft incidents
Hope RCMP received a report of a theft from the parking lot of a grocery store on Wallace Street. A female victim reported her necklace had been stolen during an interaction with occupants of a van. The victim stated that a man approached her and began speaking quickly, asking numerous questions and showing her jewelry. A woman then exited the van and began placing jewelry on the victim. During this interaction, the suspects removed the victim’s necklace without her noticing. The suspects left behind fake gold jewelry and gave the victim money before fleeing the area. The victim later realized her necklace was missing.
A few days later, another Hope resident reported a similar encounter while at a gas station on Old Hope Princeton Way. The complainant stated that a man approached him and placed a large amount of suspected fake gold into his hands, asking for money in return. The complainant refused, returned the jewelry, and advised the man he would contact police. The suspect then quickly left the scene in a vehicle occupied by a woman and a child. Police are currently following several investigative avenues to identify the suspects involved in these incidents.
Hope RCMP received a crash detection notification from a cellular phone on Highway 5 near Hope. Shortly after, BC Emergency Health Services advised police of a single-vehicle collision they were attending, confirmed to be the same incident. A minivan had lost control after striking black ice, left the roadway, and came to rest in a steep ditch approximately 10 feet deep. Officers observed the vehicle upright and determined the six occupants were responsive, with one youth passenger being injured. All occupants were transported to hospital for medical assessment as a precaution. The vehicle was towed the following day.
Hope RCMP received a report from a security company regarding a theft from a construction site along Highway 1 south of Boston Bar. The security representative reported that two individuals attended the site in a truck and stole construction equipment. The vehicle was last seen traveling southbound on Highway 1. The investigation is ongoing.
Officers received multiple reports of theft from vehicles in a neighbourhood along Flood Hope Road. During the investigation, police also received reports of a shed and a porch refrigerator being broken into in the same area. It is believed the vehicles and buildings were left unlocked and the suspects were seeking quick opportunities to steal items. Police remind residents to lock vehicles and secure outbuildings, even if they are on private property.
