Two dogs struck and killed in Kamloops hit and run near airport

Kamloops RCMP are looking for witnesses to a hit and run that resulted in the deaths of two dead dogs near the airport early this morning.

Officers were called to Ord Road at McLean Street in Kamloops after a black, short box Dodge pickup collided with two dogs that had escaped a nearby yard around 5 a.m. today, April 4, according to an RCMP media release.

The driver of the truck stopped briefly, yelled at those present, made comments about getting to the airport, then continued westbound, police said.

“Although no license plate was obtained, we are hopeful someone from the area will have captured video surveillance featuring the truck, which will help police identify and contact the driver as part of the investigation,” Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn said in the release.

Officers patrolled the airport but did not locate the vehicle.

Police are asking the driver of the truck, or its passenger, to contact them as soon as possible.

The driver is described as a Caucasian man around 30 years of age with short buzz cut hair and a slim build. His passenger is described as female with a slim build and her hair up. She was wearing a dark three-quarter length jacket and tights.

Kamloops resident Kelly Kennedy said she was driving to work on Ord Road when she witnessed the crash. She saw the two dogs and an older lady wearing a deflective orange shirt.

“I saw the truck coming toward me up a gentle slope so I flicked my high beams on and off to get him to slow down,” she said. “He was driving really fast. The big Saint Bernard went flying over his hood, and they he hit the bullmastiff, which lived for about five minutes after.”

Kennedy said the driver stepped out of the truck and was yelling and swearing at her and she yelled back.

“His passenger started to come out and he yelled at her to get back in the truck to go to the airport, then he sped off,” she said. “I stayed with the older lady who was babysitting the dogs for her son. She was inconsolable.”

While it was still dark at that time in the morning and Kennedy couldn’t get the truck’s plate number, but she was able to provide some descriptions to RCMP.

“I went back to the airport and checked the whole lot for a truck with a damaged front end,” she said. “The officer said the pipeline has lots of cameras on this area and there are cameras at the airport.”

Kamloops RCMP are asking the public to check security and dash cams to see if there is any footage of a westbound black pickup truck on Ord Road between 4:30 and 5 a.m.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2022-10810.

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