Stolen SUV involved in 3 Whitby crashes following pursuit, suspect arrested: police

A stolen Lexus SUV was involved in three crashes in north Whitby on Friday following a police pursuit, officers say.

Durham Regional Police said in a news release that at around 2:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a plaza in the area of Taunton Road East and Harmony Road North in Oshawa.

Police said the vehicle was stolen from an Oshawa residence earlier in the day.

The vehicle left the area but was later located by officers near Baldwin Street North and Highway 407 in Whitby, police said.

Officers tried to stop the SUV but the suspect allegedly fled.

A pursuit was launched before being called off “due to safety concerns,” police said.

“The stolen vehicle continued driving erratically and struck an occupied Dodge Caravan near Winchester Road East and Baldwin Street North and then struck an unoccupied red Audi AQ5 and an occupied GMC Terrain,” the release said.

One of the occupants was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the stolen vehicle was seriously damaged in the collisions and the suspect fled on foot.

He was later found with help from the K-9 unit and was arrested in a “wooded area,” the release said.

Montreal resident Jean-Baptiste Ronel, 19, has been charged with multiple offences including flight from police, dangerous operation of a conveyance, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a Schedule I substance (crystal meth) and three counts of leaving the scene of an accident.

Ronel was held for a bail hearing.