A man has been arrested and charged after RCMP tracked a stolen truck from Tracyville to the Lake Utopia area, northeast of St. George in eastern Charlotte County.

Police say the truck was reported stolen around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday and later spotted in Wirral, roughly 20 kilometres away.

Officers from the Grand Bay-Westfield and Oromocto RCMP detachments located the vehicle on Highway 785, a rural route that runs toward Lake Utopia.

As police approached with emergency lights activated, the driver sped off.

RCMP did not pursue but deployed a tire deflation device to bring the truck to a stop.

The driver fled into nearby woods, prompting a search involving Police Dog Services and a drone pilot.

After tracking more than three kilometres, officers arrested the suspect without incident.

The man appeared in Saint John Provincial Court on Friday and was charged with:

• Flight from police
• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
• Resisting arrest
• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
• Failure to comply with the conditions of a release order

He remains in custody and is scheduled to return to court on Monday at 9:30 a.m.