TORONTO — Police say they have a man in custody after spending hours following a stolen tractor-trailer on busy Ontario highways — a drama that played out live on TV.
Provincial police say the rig pulled over in the Toronto-bound lanes of the QEW highway near Burlington, Ont., around 1:20 p.m. ET.
They say the man, who has not been identified, was taken into custody without incident after police vehicles had followed him for about five hours.
News helicopters followed the action throughout the morning as police trailed the flatbed truck across southern Ontario.
The truck was headed toward the U.S. border at one point, but turned around in Niagara Falls and headed back toward Toronto.
Police say the truck was stolen earlier today in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Insp. Dave Ross of Ontario Provincial Police says safety was the primary concern as officers monitored the truck on the ground and with helicopters.
“The goal was not to pursue and apprehend the stolen truck, it was to make sure everybody was safe,” Ross said.
“Fortunately it ended as we hoped it would, safely and peacefully for everyone.”
Several unmarked provincial police cruisers followed the truck, which appeared to maintain the speed limit throughout the pursuit.
The truck apparently travelled as far as London, Ont., on Highway 401 earlier this morning before turning around.