RCMP say a 44-year-old Chase man has been charged after a tow truck with a pick up on it was stolen early Wednesday morning.

Chase RCMP Staff Sgt. Barry Kennedy says a pair of suspects “decided to steal the tow truck with the pick up still on it” after they couldn’t take the pick up off the truck around 5 a.m. on Jan, 3.

Kennedy says the suspects drove the tow truck through a metal gate which alerted a neighbour who began following the tow truck.

“When the tow truck attempted to smash in to the witnesses’ vehicle, the witness stopped following and alerted police to the last known location of the tow truck,” Kennedy said, in a statement.

Kennedy says police were able to track the tow truck through Turtle Valley by following the tire marks that were left in the snow.

He says while police lost the trail after the vehicle hit wet pavement on the Squilax Anglemont Road, they were later told that the vehicle was seen driving up the 670 Forest Service Road near Scotch Creek.

“After conducting more patrols, police received further information that the tow truck had turned on to the 690 Forest Service Rd, which was not plowed and had received a lot of recent snow fall,” Kennedy said.

“Police were able to follow the tire impressions in the snow for approximately 30 kms when they located the stolen tow truck stopped on the road. Police approached the vehicle and attempted to apprehend the occupants, but they fled in the tow truck.”

Kennedy says the tow truck was then tracked to the Seymour Arm Forest Service Road, before it turned around and began to head back towards Anglemont.

“During this trek, the tow truck attempted, on two occasions, to reverse into the police vehicle to disable it but police were able to avoid a collision,” he said.

The tow truck was eventually stopped by a spike strip near Talana Bay on the Squilax Anglemont Road, at which point the two men inside fled.

“Police were able to contain the suspects in a gravel pit area and one male was taken into custody while the second male managed to flee,” Kennedy said.

Mountie say William Davis Copping has been charged with Theft Over $5000, Possession of Stolen Property Over $5000, and Evading Police, with more charges expected to be laid.

He was released from custody with numerous conditions after a bail hearing and is due back in court in Kamloops on Monday, Jan. 8.

Kennedy told Radio NL that there is enough evidence to support charges against the second man, once he’s identified.