An chemical stain on Division Avenue shows the spot where police say a stolen car was driven off a retaining wall while the driver was attempting to elude police on Monday night.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
Police say a Calgary man drove a stolen car over a retaining wall and crashed down onto Division Avenue in Crescent Heights to avoid capture on Monday night.
“We think it’s a matter of not being familiar with the city, thinking there’s an easy out and all of a sudden you’re going over a wall,” said Staff Sgt. Rod Thompson.
The spot, at the top of Altawana Drive, is directly east of Seventh Street NE, but has guard rails along most, but not all, of a turnaround bulb.
The accident occurred shortly after 6:45 p.m. when police received a call from a person in Calgary who said their vehicle had been stolen, but they could track the location on a GPS computer system.
Members of the Medicine Hat Police Service located the vehicle and eventually blocked it into a dead end at the 200 Block of Seventh Street NE.
Police say that in an attempt to flee the driver drove the vehicle over a retaining wall onto the roadway below, disabling the vehicle.
A 27-year-old man was arrested after a short foot chase, police say.
Thompson said he wouldn’t categorize the events as a pursuit, and most of the damage was to the undercarriage of the vehicle. Aside from some scraps along the wall, the only visible signs of trouble was spot where oil and coolant leaked from the damaged car.
“We’re very thankful that there wasn’t a pedestrian, or cars coming along at that time,” he said.
The unnamed man is charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, other stolen goods, and identity documents, along with resisting arrest, obstruction and bail violations.
Drug raid
Two Hatters were among six people arrested in a drug raid in Didsbury as police say they have broken up a trafficking ring that moved drugs into southern Alberta.
Organized crime investigators in the ALERT unit say they seized $160,000 in drugs and cash along with two loaded hand guns during the Feb. 22 search that included four police agencies, including the Medicine Hat Police Service.
“Our information suggested these suspects were trafficking drugs in the region and also supplying methamphetamine and fentanyl toward Lethbridge and Medicine Hat,” said S/Sgt. Kelsey Fraser of the MHPS.
Police say they recovered substantial amounts of suspected meth (281 grams), fentanyl (330 grams), cocaine (261 grams) and magic mushrooms, along with more than $30,000 in cash, a rifle, shotgun and two hand guns.
Edward Nicholson, 53, of Didsbury, faces trafficking charges and 11 firearms offices.
Ryan Riley, 35, and Lori Ehrler, 32, both of Medicine Hat, are charged with possession for the purpose of drug trafficking.
Others charged include Denise Dorge, 73, Colin Orum, 47, and Letisha Whitesel, 19, all of Didsbury, with a variety of offences.
