Canada - RCMP investigating abduction attempt of road flagger in northern B.C., 4 August 2019

[dotr]

RCMP investigating abduction attempt of road flagger in northern B.C.
"They learned that at around 9 a.m., a dark blue van with silver striping drove up to a road flagger on Highway 29 near Szoo Road. The van stopped near the female flagger when a white man opened the back doors and attempted to pull the woman into it.

The woman struggled and the man eventually got back into the van and drove off towards Hudson's Hope, B.C.

The woman said she did not recognize the man.

RCMP from Hudson's Hope, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson and Grande Prairie are all working together to try to identify the suspect or the vehicle. They're also canvassing nearby properties to speak to potential witnesses.

The vehicle is described as dark blue with silver stripes, chrome on the front grille and barn style rear doors.

RCMP say the suspect is a white male, around 5'9" and did not have an accent when he spoke. "

 

[dotr]

RCMP investigating alleged abduction attempt involving northern B.C. road flagger

Highway 29 at Szoo Road, near where police say someone attempted to abduct a road flagger on Sunday.
READ MORE: In wake of northern B.C. murders, residents say cell service needed along highways

"RCMP said it is canvassing the area and looking for witnesses or anyone with dashcam video shot in the area the day of the alleged abduction attempt.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Fort St. John RCMP at 250-787-8140 or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous."

rbbm
Road flagger thwarts attempted abduction near Fort St. John
“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."
"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."

 

[PrairieWind]

Wow, she is incredibly lucky! I hope they can find this van quickly. Given the recent events, no one should left alone in those areas.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

When did older style vans become the go-to choice for a certain type of criminal?

 

[LadyL]

When did older style vans become the go-to choice for a certain type of criminal?

they're usually white or blue too
women can't even be safe working anymore
what's 'barn style rear doors' though?

 

[dotr]

they're usually white or blue too
women can't even be safe working anymore
what's 'barn style rear doors' though?

Tailgate or Barn Doors for Vans | Parkers



Enlarge 4 photos
Main image caption Barn Door or Tailgate

When it comes to finding the right van for you and your business there are many aspects to consider; body lengths, roof heights, engines choices, nominal gross vehicle weight, to name but a few. But one aspect that is often overlooked is one that could have a profound effect on usability, the choice of rear doors.

The two main types of rear doors are Barn Doors which are hinged on the side of the van and rotate about a vertical point and Tailgates which are hinged on the top and rotate about a horizontal point.

Whereas barns doors are a standard feature for medium and large panel vans, tailgates are more widely used on car derived vans, kombis and minibuses, but can often be chosen as a no-cost option on the larger panel vans.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

they're usually white or blue too
women can't even be safe working anymore
what's 'barn style rear doors' though?

I know! You'd think black vans would be more prevalent then they are.

 

[scapa]

Wow, she is incredibly lucky! I hope they can find this van quickly. Given the recent events, no one should left alone in those areas.

Absolutely. I'm surprised that she was on her own out there. Haven't seen that often -- usually highway workers stagger breaks for refreshment/supplies in order to make sure that they and the site are safe. And as you say, taking precautions would seem even more important at the moment.

 

[Jealoushe]

Terrifying, so glad she got away.

 

[PrairieWind]

Absolutely. I'm surprised that she was on her own out there. Haven't seen that often -- usually highway workers stagger breaks for refreshment/supplies in order to make sure that they and the site are safe. And as you say, taking precautions would seem even more important at the moment.

If I was a company owner I would be giving a site manager a butt chewing, followed by a safety briefing for all employees that no one, male or female, shall ever be alone and never out of sight of other workers.

 

[Laughing]

I'm not Canadian, but usually flaggers have a radio -- did the worker use one to call for help?

IIRC, using van side doors to grab someone was featured in an episode of Criminal Minds....