by Cheryl Leschasin
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 21/97) - A Yellowknife couple narrowly escaped injury Friday afternoon when their truck caught fire and burned to a crisp while driving along Highway 3 near Edzo.

And with all their money, identification and warm clothing burned in the fire, the three say they were left by an RCMP constable to walk the streets of Edzo for over five near-freezing hours, waiting for help.

Michelle Self, her son Gage Self-Handley, 3, and Chris Brown were 138 kilometres from Yellowknife when something in the box of Brown's 1992 Chevrolet truck caught fire.

Brown immediately stopped the truck and the three jumped out.

"Just as I pulled Gage's head out, the back window exploded," said Self. Fire engulfed the truck and it was destroyed.

A good samaritan named Rob drove the three to Edzo. After several failed attempts, the couple finally found a house with a telephone and called the RCMP.

A Yellowknife RCMP dispatcher informed them police were on their way and to wait in Edzo.

A police officer from Rae arrived an hour and another phone call later.

He took a statement, but left them where they were, said Brown. "He said he couldn't give us a ride back."

The couple said the Rae-Edzo RCMP detachment didn't do all they should have to assist them. "We were left in the dark," said Brown, the truck's owner.

In all, the trio waited five and a half cold hours in the streets of Edzo for Self's parents to pick them up. Fortunately, the Edzo school janitors took pity on them and let them warm up in the school.

Brown said he thought the constable could have at least taken them to the Rae detachment to wait for their ride back to Yellowknife.

Although their ordeal was frustrating, Brown and Self wished to thank the people who helped them, especially those in Edzo.

The officer who was on duty in Rae at the time of the Friday incident wasn't available for comment and is out of town for several weeks.

Another Rae detachment constable who was off duty on Friday, said Monday he thought some miscommunication must have gone on.

"We would never leave someone to stand outside, knowingly" he said. "If there is a complaint, we'll respond right away."