Whirlwind police chase ends with attempted car-jacking in Regina

A hunt for a truck spanned four hours on Saturday, involving three police services, two cities, two spike belts, and one attempted car-jacking.

The whole thing started on Gordon Road near Lewvan Drive, in the south end of Regina, around 9 a.m. Police said they were called there to investigate a suspicious vehicle.

When the officer got there he talked to the driver of the vehicle, and thought the driver was intoxicated. But the truck took off into traffic, refusing to stop for police. Officers didn’t continue the chase because it was too dangerous.

Police said the truck was seen heading west on Highway 1 out of Regina about 10 minutes later. They informed RCMP, but the Mounties called off a short chase because it got too dangerous.

The truck was spotted again a little while later at a gas station in Moose Jaw. Again, the truck took off and officers didn’t chase.

A 21-year-old woman who was left at the gas station was arrested. It’s alleged she had been in the truck. Shelby Donald is charged with possession of morphine, possession of meth, and two counts of flight while pursued by a peace officer.

Shortly after 10 a.m., the truck was seen driving east on the highway near Belle Plaine. RCMP told Regina police. Regina police tried to set up a spike belt to stop the truck, but couldn’t deploy it properly because of surrounding traffic.

Around 11 a.m., the truck was spotted again, this time in a parking lot near Albert Street and 5th Avenue. Officers couldn’t contain the truck though, and it got away.

An officer in the east end of the city tried to stop the truck around 11:45 a.m., thinking it was just speeding. But when the officer discovered the chase the truck was involved in, he didn’t go after it.

Finally, everything came a head around 12:45 p.m. in the North Central neighbourhood. The truck was seen around 5th and Robinson Street, so officers set out a spike belt at 5th and Athol. The belt blew out the truck’s tires, but it kept going for another few blocks.

At 7th Avenue and Albert Street, the driver allegedly got out of the truck and tried to car-jack a nearby stopped car; police said he was carrying what looked like a gun.

The driver tried to pull a woman out of the car, but in the process the car was put in motion and hit two police vehicles. The woman wasn’t hurt.

Officers tased the man, and arrested him. The gun turned out to be a pellet gun, according to police.

Yorkton man, William Crawford, 28, is facing 18 charges: possession of morphine, possession of meth, four counts of flight while pursued by a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer, robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving while impaired, five counts of breaching a court order, possession of a replica firearm contrary to order, possession of shotgun shells contrary to order, and using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offense.

Crawford is also charged on 11 counts from previous warrants out of Yorkton and Prince Albert.

Both Crawford and Donald will make their first appearance on these charges on Monday morning.