Suspect flees on snowmobile with dog while police pursue on the ground and in the air

Alberta RCMP made an arrest Wednesday after a police chase straight out of an '80sCanadian action flick involving snowmobiles, a helicopter and police dogs.

Mounties headed to a rural home near Vulcan, Alta., at around 5 a.m. Wednesday after a homeowner reported a snowmobile had been stolen.

The snowmobile was spotted being towed on a trailer behind a truck headed for Highway 529. The truck was pulled overand the driver arrested shortly after 6 a.m.

But the suspect fought back and took off in the truck, nearly running down the arresting officer, police said in a release.

RCMPfrom Vulcan, High River and Okotoks detachments followed the truck, until it got caught in a snow-covered field.

Butthe chase was far from over.

Suspect, dog take off on stolen snowmobile

The driver hopped out of the truck, grabbed the stolen snowmobileand rode off on it accompanied byhis chocolate lab.

Turner Valley RCMPwere deployedon snowmobilesto follow the suspect.

Butthe treacherous terrain foiled the pursuit again.

Calgary police sent out aHAWCS helicopter to assist, and spotted the snowmobile stuck in a stand of trees, about six kilometres away from the abandoned truck and trailer.

RCMPpolice dog services tracked down the suspect. They found he was suffering minor injuries after colliding with a tree while on the snowmobile. He was taken into hospital, and remains in police custodypending a bail hearing.

His pet was unhurt. Police returned it to one of the suspect's family members.

The abandoned truck and trailer were also found to be stolen: the truck was stolen from Okotoks, the trailer from Taber and the licence plate from Creston, B.C.

Police said the34-year-oldfaces 18 charges from the incidentbut cannot be named as the charges have not yet been sworn.

The charges include assault of a police officer, flight from police and dangerous driving.

• MORE CRIMENEWS |Calgary detective's passion profiled in TV episode about foreign worker murder case
• MORE CRIME NEWS |Alberta man pleads guilty after posing as retired U.S. marine at Remembrance Day events