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Elliot Lake man ran over his own pickup with the log skidder he stole

Odd series of events took place in Hat Lake, north of Elliot Lake 
opp - too small!
(File)

An Elliot Lake man is facing charges after allegedly getting his pickup truck stuck on a logging road, stealing a log skidder to get the truck unstuck, and then accidentally running over his own truck with the aforementioned log skidder.

To top it all off, police said he then reported his own truck stolen, possibly in an attempt to hide his theft of the skidder.

The bizarre series of events began, East Algoma OPP reported, on Aug. 14 when the detachment received a report of a stolen pickup from the Hat Lake area, located around 65 kilometres north of Elliot Lake.

The investigation into that theft took a turn when, a day later, a log skidder was reported stolen from a forestry business in the same area the truck had been reported stolen.

Police say they have since determined the pickup truck was being driven along a logging road in the Hat Lake area when it became stuck on a bridge.

East Algoma OPP allege the driver of the truck then went onto the property of a nearby forestry business and took a log skidder to remove the pick-up truck from the bridge. 

Once at the scene, police reported the suspect lost control of the skidder and ran over his own truck. He then reported the truck stolen.

A 36-year-old Elliot Lake man has been charged with:

  • Theft over $5,000 of a Motor Vehicle, contrary to section 334(a) of the Criminal Code (CC); and
  • Public Mischief, contrary to section 140(1)(c) of the CC.

He is scheduled to appear in Elliot Lake court Oct. 6 to answer to the charges.