In a story filled with coincidence, a western Newfoundland police officer arrested a hitchhiker who turned out to be a man he had been pursuing for years.

Corner Brook RCMP Const. Des Burridge was off duty and driving east through Deer Lake, N.L. Tuesday when he saw a hitchhiker and picked him up.

When they got to talking, the hitchhiker told Burridge his name — Ken Colson.

The officer quickly realized his impromptu passenger was a suspect the RCMP had been after for more than six years.

Colson skipped the province after he was charged with fraud in Corner Brook and there are several outstanding arrest warrants against him.

But the coincidence didn't stop there. Burridge also happened to be the lead investigator trying to locate Colson.

He'd never met Colson — or even seen a picture of him — but there he was, back in Newfoundland and sitting in Burridge's private vehicle.

Burridge then pulled over, identified himself as a police officer, arrested Colson and took him to jail back in Deer Lake.

Colson appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.