An Alberta man convicted of crimes that included crashing a stolen pickup truck into a school bus and a police chase involving a stolen semi-trailer truck has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jason Ionson, who is 38, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty during what is known as a summary disposition appearance in Red Deer provincial court on Aug 6.
Court heard the Red Deer man was in a stolen truck on Jan. 22 when he slammed into the bus carrying seven children just south of the city, but no one was hurt.
READ MORE: Alberta man charged in January robbery, crash involving pickup and school bus
Ionson got out and brandished a handgun at a passerby who had stopped to help, then fled in that person’s vehicle.
On Feb. 16, he led the RCMP on a short chase when he tried to flee in a semi from a Sylvan Lake industrial park into oncoming traffic, but was arrested when police used a tire deflation device to bring the truck to a halt.
Ionson was given credit of eight months for time already spent in custody.
READ MORE: RCMP say Truck slams into Alberta school bus, suspect steals vehicle at gunpoint
The court was told Ionson drove the semi towards officers during his flight from the industrial park.
He then headed east toward Red Deer in the westbound lanes of a highway, but no one was hurt during the pursuit.
Police were following up on break-ins in the communities of Rocky Mountain House and Bentley when they ended up at the industrial park.
Watch below: (From January 2019) The victim of a carjacking at gunpoint near Red Deer on Tuesday is sharing her terrifying experience as police search for her vehicle and the suspect. Lauren Pullen reports.
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