RCMP cruiser slammed by driver of stolen truck in Red Deer

A Mountie in Red Deer, Alta., suffered minor injuries when the driver of a stolen truck rammed a police cruiser early Monday morning.

RCMP were patrolling in the Highland Green area at about 1 a.m. when officers saw a Ford F350 being stolen, police said in a news release.

The driver fled south in the pickup truck through a greenspace to the Riverside Meadows neighbourhood, where RCMP spotted the truck again at Taylor Drive and Kerrywood Drive.

When an RCMP vehicle approached, the suspect backed up at high speed, slammed into the police vehicle, and then sped away on Taylor Drive, RCMP said.

The police cruiser was severelydamaged on its front end, and the police officer driving it suffered minor injuries and was treated at hospital.

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"This incident highlights why RCMP strongly encourage the public not to engage with criminals," said Staff Sgt. Jeff McBeth.

"Every day, police officers deal with criminals making dangerous choices trying to avoid arrest, and we're lucky, today, that our member wasn't seriously injured."

RCMP found the stolen truck abandoned in a parking lot in north Red Deer at about 8:30 a.m.

The driver of the truck is described as a thin white man, early to mid-30s, with some facial hair. He was wearing a black hat and a black hoodie.

2nd incident in 4 days

This is the second time a Red Deer police car has been hit by a driver of a stolen vehicle attempting to escape arrest in just four days.

On the evening of July 13, a woman driving a stolen silver 2004 Ford Freestar van hit the side of a police car while fleeing police.

In that incident, the police car sustained minor damage and the police officer was not injured.

The stolen van had an Alberta licence plate,BWW3351. It has not been recovered.

Anyone with information about either case is asked to call the Red Deer RCMP at403-343-5575 or contact Crime Stoppers.

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