Road flagger thwarts attempted abduction near Fort St. John
Posted August 6, 2019 8:12 am.
Last Updated August 6, 2019 5:36 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FORT ST. JOHN (NEWS 1130) – A scary situation near Fort St. John is being investigated as a possible attempted abduction in Fort St. John.
Mounties say a lone female flagger was standing along Highway 29, about 30 kilometres southwest of Charlie Lake, Sunday at around 9:00 a.m. when she was approached by a dark blue van with silver striping.
When the vehicle got close, the woman says a male opened the vehicles back doors, got out, and then tried to pull her in.
The RCMP says the flagged struggled with the man, who then eventually got back into the van, which then drove off toward Hudson’s Hope.
The flagger did not recognize the man, Mounties say.
“Currently, the Fort St. John RCMP frontline members are partnering with RCMP members from Hudson’s Hope, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, and Grand Prairie in an attempt to identify the suspect or the vehicle in this incident,” RCMP Cpl. Chris Manseau said.
Investigators are canvassing areas near Highway 29 and Szoo Road in Fort St. John, and are looking to speak with any witnesses and obtain any possible surveillance footage.
“This is a very rare occurrence, not sure what the story was,” Manseau added. “Luckily the flagger was able to get away from this attempted abduction and contact the people that she worked with and then contact the RCMP to determine what the intentions were.”
A possible motive is still unclear.
“We’re extremely concerned and distressed to hear of something like this happening,” says Teresa Holloran with the BC Construction Safety Alliance’s Traffic Control Program. “Just thinking of the woman, and thankful that she was able to escape safely.”
The dark blue van has chrome on the front grille, and barn style rear doors. The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, who is about 5’9″ tall.
Mounties are asking for anyone who was in the Charlie Lake area to try and remember if they saw a vehicle matching the description.
Anyone with information or any dash cam footage is asked to contact the RCMP at 250.787.8140.
-With files from Mike Lloyd
