Oceanside RCMP officers were able to track down a stolen vehicle thanks in large part to the vehicle's manufacturer providing real-time location data after it was reported stolen by its owner. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Vehicle tracking technology thwarts truck thieves captured north of Nanaimo

Jan 15, 2026 | 2:14 PM

PARKSVILLE — Three people accused of stealing a truck from an Oceanside hotel were quickly tracked down thanks to the vehicle’s onboard technology.

Two men, aged 19 and 31, and a 32-year-old woman are believed to have stolen a late-model Dodge Ram pickup truck during the overnight hours of Jan. 2 from a Parksville-area hotel, with the vehicle’s owner reporting the theft to RCMP and Dodge once they awoke a few hours later.

Oceanside RCMP Sgt. Shane Worth told NanaimoNewsNOW officers were then alerted to the vehicle’s location during the afternoon of Jan. 3.

“The vehicle manufacturer actually called into our dispatch centre and alerted us that they were remotely tracking the truck, and it was travelling at the time from north Nanaimo into Nanoose Bay. There was some excellent real-time coordination going on between the police and the vehicle manufacturer where they were giving live real-time updates about the truck’s location.”

Mounties followed the vehicle to the 1700 block of Ballenas Rd. in Nanoose Bay, eventually converging and finding the truck vacant.

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Police Dog Services were able to track one of the occupants, while officers on patrol quickly arrested the other two.

Stolen tools, located in a vehicle parked near the stolen truck, were also located.

All three are well known to police and were later released under promises to appear in court in late March.

Worth said while Crown Counsel has yet to approve charges, it’s possible charges of theft of a motor vehicle and theft under $5,000 will be applied.

Use of the tracking technology was something which completely changed how Mounties handled this particular file.

It improved safety for all involved, according to Worth.

“This prevented us from having to pursue a vehicle or get into anything dangerous for other motorists. We were able to get it into position where it was off the highway, into a place where it was stopped and safe, and we were able to quickly get into the area and locate and arrest those suspects.”

He added more calls are coming in from sources like vehicle manufacturers or automated crash detection services on cell phones.

Worth said this was the first call he was aware of where a vehicle manufacturer proactively reached out, and usually it’s officers connecting with companies in a bid to garner location information.

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