Drivers on the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt, Friday, April 1, were warned by police not to pick up hitchhikers, after a stabbing incident occurred at the Britton Creek rest area.
The male victim was found conscious and in stable condition and was flown to the Inland Hospital in Kamloops for treatment, reports Const. Tracy Wolbeck.
A police dog team and the emergency response team were both deployed to the area, near the Coquihalla summit, in search of the suspect. Hope police set up a checkpoint near the Othello Tunnels exit, just north of Hope, to warn travelers of the possible danger and to ask them to report any suspicious activity they see en route to Merritt.
"Not long after the emergency response team deployment, a male fitting the description of the suspect emerged from the bushes in Britton Creek and police were able to apprehend him. The male remains in custody," said Wolbeck.
Merritt and Hope RCMP are continuing their investigation.
No other information on the incident is available at this time.