Man dies in collision after allegedly stealing vehicle

A man has died after a vehicle he allegedly had stolen collided with a parked tractor trailer unit.

Princeton RCMP received a report of a theft in progress of a pickup truck from a residence in Coalmont on the morning of Nov. 4. The owner had left his vehicle running in the driveway for a short period and upon returning, saw it leaving the property. The owner attempted to follow in another vehicle eventually losing sight of his truck in downtown Princeton.

While police continued patrols in search of the stolen vehicle, they were notified the truck had rear ended a commercial tractor trailer unit parked near the Sunday Summit brake check. The lone occupant of the pickup truck a 35-year-old man, of no fixed address but known to police in the South Okanagan, was found deceased in the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle.

“Witnesses reported seeing the truck driving at excessive speed on Highway 3 and not being followed by any other vehicle prior to the collision,” stated Sgt. Jason Bayda, Media Relations Officer for the Penticton South Okanagan RCMP.

The Princeton RCMP with help from the he RCMP South Okanagan Traffic Services Reconstruction Analyst, are investigating the vehicle theft and the man’s death. Speed and dangerous driving are believed to be contributing factors.

The BC Coroners Service is also conducting an independent and concurrent fact-finding investigation. Due to the privacy of the deceased, under the Coroners Act, the name of the decedent will not be released.