A 35-year-old man is facing 18 charges in connection to an incident that resulted in the suspect colliding with several RCMP cruisers on the QEII Highway north of Calgary.
On July 29, RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious person in a vehicle outside of a home in Carstairs, Alta.
When officers arrived on scene, police said the suspect ran away and broke into a nearby residence. The man then entered a van in the home’s garage and started the engine.
“Police were in the driver’s seat attempting to remove the suspect while the van exited the garage at a high rate of speed, striking the garage,” RCMP said in a news release Friday.
“The suspect broke free from police and fled Carstairs eastbound on Highway 581 and continued southbound on Highway 2.”
Several RCMP units from surrounding areas, including Innisfail, Olds and Airdrie, were called to assist in apprehending the suspect, who was “crossing the centre median and travelling southbound in the northbound lane,” police said.
Several vehicles were forced to leave the road to avoid a head-on collision with the suspect van, officers added.
A roadblock was set up by police in the northbound lane near the overpass on Highway 72, however, officers said the driver made an “evasive move,” and collided with several police vehicles before entering a ditch.
Three RCMP officers were assessed by Emergency Medical Services, two of whom suffered minor injuries from the collision but did not require hospitalization, police said.
Kyle Robert Meckler, of Sylvan Lake, was arrested on scene and is facing 18 charges.
Those charges include:
- break and enter into a dwelling
- attempted theft of a motor vehicle
- possession of stolen property over $5,000
- two counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance
- operation while prohibited
- flight from a peace officer
- failing to stop after an accident
- resisting arrest
- escaping lawful custody
- eight counts of failing to comply with conditions
- two counts of operating an uninsured motor vehicle
Meckler remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court today, Friday, July 31.
Anyone who may have dashcam footage related to the incident is asked to contact Didsbury RCMP at 403-335-3381 or a local police detachment.
The town of Crossfield is located about 30 kilometres north of Calgary.