Police don't know yet why driver led them on a chase Thursday night

Photo: Colin Dacre

The Kelowna RCMP says a major police incident in the McKenzie Road area on Thursday was not connected to a shooting at a gas station on the Westside, but officers thought otherwise at the time.

An RCMP cruiser was patrolling the William Bennett Bridge just after 8:30 p.m. and attempted to stop a vehicle that matched the description of a suspect vehicle involved in a shooting at the Ross Road Petro-Canada in West Kelowna shortly prior.

The white SUV fled at high speed, prompting officers at the east end of the bridge to deploy a spike belt. The vehicle continued to flee and police ended the chase a short time later in the interest of public safety.

A Kelowna resident living on Springfield Road told Castanet News at least eight police vehicles were in pursuit of the SUV when the chase went past his house, sounding “like a freight train.”

“I walked to the end of my driveway to see what it was and the white SUV was speeding past my driveway at over 100 km/h on its rims,” the resident said. “The SUV may have gone through a spike trap as sparks lit up the road.”

Officers eventually found the suspect vehicle abandoned on McKenzie Road, but the driver was not located.

“Our investigation later determined that this vehicle was not involved in the incident in West Kelowna, and all indications are that this driver was fleeing from police for other unknown and unrelated reasons,” says Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy of the Kelowna RCMP.

“Regardless, the behaviour of this driver was extremely dangerous, and put everyone at risk. We are now treating this as a separate criminal investigation and are working to identify the driver.”

The vehicle has been seized as part of the ongoing investigation. Kelowna RCMP is appealing to witnesses or anyone with information to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. Or remain completely anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net