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P.E.I. man warning others to lock up after truck stolen from his driveway

Mike Lund feels very lucky to have his truck back in the driveway at his Charlottetown home.

Lund went outside Wednesday morning to discover his 2011 Chevrolet Silverado had been stolen. Lund said he's always been "a very trusting person," and had left his keys in his truck without giving it much thought.

He now realizes that was a bad idea, and he hopes others will learn from his mistake.

"You can't take that chance anymore, you just have to keep it locked up," Lund said.

Lund isn't the only one who has made the mistake of leaving vehicles unlocked, sometimes with the keys inside.

Increase in thefts

P.E.I. RCMP said they've noticed more vehicle thefts, and more thefts of items left in cars and trucks.

Sarah MacMillan/CBC
Sarah MacMillan/CBC

Sgt. Craig Eveleigh said there has been "an increase this year over last year," right across the Island.

And, Eveleigh said, in many of those cases, the vehicle had been left unlocked. While people are free to make their own choice in their own driveway, Eveleigh is asking people to always lock their cars.

Sarah MacMIllan/CBC
Sarah MacMIllan/CBC

"And I would imagine that the insurance company would like to see that as well," he said.

"If the keys are in the vehicle it just makes it much more easier for those people to steal the car. And if the doors are locked, most people just move on."

Truck recovered

Lund said he got a call from Charlottetown police Thursday morning, letting him know his car had been found.

He's happy to have it back, and amazed that nothing was missing, including his golf clubs and toolbox, which he had left inside.

"It could have ended up a $10,000 loss. At Christmastime. That's a killer for anybody."

While he feels disheartened by the theft, Lund said the whole experience has been an important lesson learned. He said going forward, he'll always lock up. And he hopes his message may help others avoid going through something similar.

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