Kingston Police suspect link between break-in, crash
Police in Kingston, Ont., are investigating a suspected break and enter, a crash that damaged two houses, and two suspects on the run — all potentially related.
In a news release, Kingston Police said it all began around 4 a.m. Tuesday when officers were called to check on an alarm at an unnamed business west of the city's downtown.
On the way there, the responding officers witnessed a speeding vehicle around Princess Street and John Counter Boulevard, but other units were unable to locate it.
When police arrived at the alarm call around 4:05 a.m. they found the door to the business open and evidence of theft, but no one inside.
Five minutes later, police received a report that a vehicle had crashed into a house about four kilometres away near Victoria and Oak streets. When officers arrived at that scene, they discovered two houses had been hit by the vehicle, which was left sitting between them.
Kingston Police now believe the same vehicle that was spotted speeding was involved in both the collision and the break and enter.
The collision scene is about four kilometres from where police first saw a speeding vehicle early Tuesday morning. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
On Tuesday morning a section of Victoria Street was surrounded by police tape and dotted with dozens of blue and green evidence markers tracing the trail of a white SUV-type vehicle.
It could be seen smashed into a garage at the end of the street, with the brick walls of the homes on either side cracked and damaged.
Jim Storms lives a few houses away and said he was woken by a loud bang around 4 a.m.
"I thought maybe it was a raccoon getting into like garbage because I'd had a big Super Bowl party and I had all this food in a bag out there," he said.
Storms said he looked around the side of the house, but seeing nothing he went back to bed.
Victoria Street resident Jim Storms said he was woken up early Tuesday morning by a loud bang. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
He said he was woken again around 8 a.m. by another "bang, bang." This time, Storms said it was police knocking on his window.
"I talked to the police, they said something about a couple guys [who] were picked up in my driveway and they hopped in [a different] car," he said, adding the episode had been captured on a neighbour's security camera.
"It's pretty wild," said Storms.
Police said one person found in the back seat of the vehicle and taken to hospital. Investigators believe two others fled the scene, but a K-9 unit was unable to locate them.
They're asking anyone with information about the incident to contact police, including with anonymous tips.