Cochrane RCMP are comparing a tow truck driver to a superhero after a daring, high-speed confrontation with a thief.

Brody Leimer, 23, was hooking up a vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway three kilometres east of the Stoney Nakoda Casino early Monday morning when a man jumped into his truck and started driving away.

Leimer said he had only partially hooked up the RAV4, and was behind the wheel when he noticed his tow truck moving.

"Right away, within the first 100 metres, I started pressing the brake, but it wasn't slowing him down enough," he said.

The vehicle got up to roughly 65 kilometres per hour, but Leimer was able to put the vehicle in park and put on the emergency brake to slow the vehicle down even more.

He said it was a dangerous situation for everyone.

"He could have killed me, he could have killed someone else, he could have killed himself," said Leimer, adding the situation could have been much worse.

Leimer said he just did what had to be done — even in the wet weather hitting the highway just before 3 a.m. MT Monday.

'Brody was left with few choices'

"Brody was left with few choices: jumping out of the moving car onto the highway, stay in the partially attached car and await his fate, or do what any superhero might do," RCMP wrote in a press release.

"Tires popping from being dragged, sparks flying, Brody jumped from the vehicle onto his tow truck. He was able to climb to the passenger side of his truck and somehow managed to open the passenger door of the truck and swing inside."

He subdued the 20-year-old man, stopped his tow truck and eventually tossed the man from the cab, RCMP said.

Leimer said he thought the man had pulled a weapon.

RCMP Corp. Troy Savinkoff, who wrote the release, said he was amazed when the tow truck driver gave police a statement.

"From a police perspective, we don't suggest anybody take these things into their own hands. That being said, I'm left at a little bit of a loss at what I might suggest would be the best case solution. Probably immediately upon seeing the vehicle moving he should have jumped out, but once we are past that point … I don't think he had a lot of options."

Police apprehended a suspect a short time later. The man was charged with impaired driving, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level exceeding .08, two counts of theft over $5,000 and driving without a licence.

Leimer said he doesn't feel like a superhero and he was pretty shook up after the incident.

"I don't think anyone should call my cellphone if they need help," he laughed.