Quebec man, 53, stole salt truck, climbed tree to evade arrest after hourslong pursuit: police

A Surete du Quebec police car is seen in Montreal on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Quebec provincial police (SQ) say a man led officers on a wild police chase spanning about 70 kilometres that started with a stolen salt truck and ended with the suspect climbing a tree to evade arrest.

The incident started at around 7:45 a.m. Friday when a 53-year-old man from Saint-Paul, in Quebec's Lanaudière region, left his home "intoxicated and in crisis," the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a news release.

Officers with the MRC Joliette were called to arrest him after the salt truck was stolen on Lagarde Street. The SQ alleged the man was armed with a knife.

He then abandoned the truck about 24 kilometres west, in the town of Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan. There, he fled on foot and stole a large SUV, continuing on his way and prompting a chase by provincial and local police officers.

The pursuit ended about 40 kilometres southwest, in the City of Laval, when the suspect climbed a tree at around 10:30 a.m.

It took three hours of negotiations with officers before he came down a fire department ladder.

The SQ said he was arrested for fleeing the scene, dangerous driving, and theft of a vehicle and is scheduled to appear in court.

"His fitness for detention will be assessed. There were no injuries as a result of these events," the release said.

The police investigation is ongoing.