Two people are facing a slew of charges Wednesday after a high-speed chase through Calgary and the surrounding area involving two stolen trucks on Wednesday, according to the RCMP.
RCMP said the chase began in Priddis on Wednesday afternoon with two stolen Ford F350s that were also believed to have been involved in several property crimes.
The duo entered the Tsuu T’ina reserve and fled the First Nation police into Calgary.
They then went east of the city toward the Chestermere/Strathmore area, where RCMP caught up with them.
Officers tried to stop the two trucks, one of which stopped, then reversed and rammed an RCMP vehicle.
The driver of the second truck abandoned their truck and jumped into the other F350 and the two fled toward Langdon before heading north toward Airdrie.
HAWCS was called to help the RCMP with surveillance of the vehicle.
At one point in the chase, the truck lost a wheel, however it kept going at a speed of about 60 km/h.
The two made their way to the parking lot of CrossIron Mills, where they abandoned the truck and tried to run into the mall to escape police.
Tyler Rudolph witnessed part of the incident as it unfolded CrossIron Mills and said he’s never seen anything like what he saw at the mall.
“I heard this grinding sound, like metal on concrete… I see this big white truck pull up and I thought the person was in automotive distress at first,” he said. “I see the right front tire was at an angle, the back tire was flat. And then I noticed that the front left tire was completely gone, the rubber torn right off.
“They hopped the curb,” he said. “They got out while the vehicle was still moving. They almost crashed into the Milestones patio.
“I was worried about the people in the way.”
RCMP and Calgary police officers, along with members of the Calgary Police tac team, were waiting for them at the mall, and the two were quickly arrested.
“The risk to the motoring public in something like this, is huge,” Cpl. Curtis Peters with Airdrie RCMP said. “We’re very fortunate that nobody got hurt.
“When a suspect takes the decision to flee from police and put the motoring public at risk, that is a huge concern to us.”
The two people, a man and woman, now face a number of charges in several jurisdictions, including assaulting a police officer with a weapon, flight from police, dangerous driving and possession of stolen property.
Investigators are still working to piece together the details. The charges against the suspects will be formally laid on Thursday, police said.
With files from Caley Ramsay, Global News.