Nova Scotia

Police say stolen backhoe slammed into several vehicles in Dartmouth

Police are looking for a person who stole a backhoe from the Zatzman Sportsplex in Dartmouth on Friday morning and used it to damage at least three vehicles.

Residents in the area of the hit-and-run incidents asked to check vehicles for damage

two vehicle's parallel parked are damaged. The hood on the rear vehicle is bent and the bumper is falling off.
Several vehicles have been damaged in downtown Dartmouth after someone slammed into them with a stolen backhoe, according to police. (Mike Noakes)

Several downtown Dartmouth residents reported a possible hit and run to police after they were jarred from their sleep early Friday by loud collisions.

It turns out a stolen backhoe had plowed into cars parked along Pleasant Street near Prince Albert Road.

Const. John MacLeod said police found the backhoe abandoned not far from there.

"Our officers located multiple vehicles in that area that had been heavily damaged," said MacLeod. "Officers were able to locate an abandoned front-end loader in the area that was equipped with a snowplow."

MacLeod said the backhoe was stolen from the Dartmouth Sportsplex around 2 a.m.

That's roughly two kilometres from where it was left.

A car is show damaged by the side of the road
Police asked people who live between the Zatzman Sportsplex and Pleasant Street to check their vehicles for damage. (Jean Laroche/CBC)

Police are asking people who live between the Sportsplex and Pleasant Street to check their vehicles for damage.

"At this point, we know where the vehicle was stolen from and we also know where these particular hit-and-run incidents occurred," said MacLeod.

"But there is a significant number of streets in between those two locations and that's why we're reaching out to the public in case they become aware of damage that may have been caused by this vehicle as well."