Calgary police investigate northeast hit and run; man bit by police dog

Calgary police are investigating a hit and run where a man was bit by a police dog on Thursday morning.

Police said they received a call that a vehicle was swerving in and out of traffic in the 7000-block of Temple Drive N.E. at around 6:25 a.m.

The swerving vehicle ended up hitting another car and the driver fled the scene, police said.

After striking the other vehicle, the swerving driver lost control and eventually came to a stop in Cory Fliegel and Gwen Ferridge’s front yard.

According to Fliegel, the truck smashed through the retaining wall outside the home with a lot of force.

“At the angle he was coming through at, he would have hit the guest room at the front of the house,” he told Global News.

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Fliegel said he was woken by his cat, who he believes heard the smashing, woke up and growled.

When he went outside, he said the bumper of the vehicle, which he said police told him had been stolen while idling in someone’s driveway, was sitting up by his front door. He also picked up vehicle parts, some he believes to have been internal parts of the engine, off his lawn.

He said all of the fluids were running out of the truck, which firefighters had to try to clean up.

Fliegel said his neighbour’s vehicle was also damaged in the incident, as the stolen truck smashed into his work van, propelling it into his neighbour’s car.

Police said they tracked the driver with the help of the canine unit and other officers.

During the course of the arrest, the driver was bitten by the police dog, officers said.

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Nobody else was hurt in the incident, police said.

Police continue to investigate the incident and said a man in his mid-20s is in custody.

Fliegel said he’d like this to be a message to residents wanting to warm up their vehicles: leaving them unattended is a very bad idea.

“I just wish people would stop firing up their vehicles and get proper remote starters,” he said. “This guy, whose vehicle it was, is out a vehicle now I guarantee you.”