Calgary dangerous driving incident nets charges against 3 people

Three people have been charged after a dangerous driving incident on Monday afternoon, Calgary police said.

According to a Tuesday afternoon news release, officers in the 900 block of 43rd Street Southeast saw a white 2006 GMC Sierra truck with mismatched licence plates and tried to stop it. The truck did not stop and sped through a four-way stop eastbound on 16th Avenue and 44th Street Southeast at high speed.

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) said officers didn’t pursue the vehicle but instead requested assistance from Helicopter Air Watch for Community Safety (HAWCS).

Police tried to stop the vehicle again just after 4 p.m. southbound on Stoney Trail approaching 61st Avenue Southeast, but the truck fled at speeds estimated at 151 km/h.

At around 6:45 p.m., the vehicle entered Chestermere. CPS officers and  Chestermere RCMP officers tried to stop it using a tire deflation device. The vehicle did not stop but sustained damage to one tire. The CPS said officers saw one of the passengers climb out of the vehicle into the bed of the truck, refueled the vehicle and re-entered the truck as it fled.

Shortly after 7 p.m., CPS officers said they tried to stop the vehicle again at 52nd Street Southeast, near 17th Avenue Southeast but the truck did not stop. CPS said the truck was dangerously passing other vehicles and at one point went the wrong way into opposing traffic. The truck also ran several red lights.

Police said the truck was travelling at 160 km/h on Stoney Trail while missing a front tire.

At around 7:30 p.m., police finally stopped the vehicle westbound on 16th Avenue Northeast approaching  52nd Street Northeast. The male driver, a male passenger and a female passenger were all arrested.

Police said the truck and the license plates were allegedly stolen.

The alleged driver, Sebastian Thomas Tait, 28, of Calgary, was charged with one count each of flight from a police officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, driving while prohibited, and both driving an uninsured and unregistered motor vehicle on a highway, in addition to eight counts of failure to comply with a release order.

Police said Tait was previously ordered by the courts to house arrest and a Canada-wide driving prohibition at the time of the incident. Tait remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 9.

The alleged male passenger Joshua Robert George Yadley, 36, was charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries and was released from custody pending his next court appearance, which wasn’t specified in the CPS release.

The alleged female passenger, Melissa Lynn Lewis, 39, was arrested on 10 warrants or possession of stolen property, uttering a forged document, possession of drugs and failing to attend court. She was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 15.

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