A 36-year-old man from Carstairs has been charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving after RCMP radar clocked him traveling at more than two times the posted speed limit on Highway 791 east of Crossfield, Jan. 23.
According to Airdrie Rural RCMP Constable Matt Gervais, the man, whose name is not being released by RCMP, was recorded as traveling at 202 kilometres an hour (km/hr) in a 100 km/hr zone north of Highway 72 by a member of the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit (ITU).
Visibility was poor due to fog in the area, Gervais said.
“Mixing alcohol with high speed in poor visibility is a recipe for disaster,” Constable Matt Gervais of the Airdrie Rural RCMP said. “We are lucky the traffic unit was in the right place at the right time to prevent anything from occurring.”
The man was arrested and charged. He was released from custody.
Under the provisions of the Alberta Traffic Act, a driver deemed to be driving at more than two times the posted limit receives a mandatory court appearance and a 30-day license suspension.
Stolen truck
Airdrie Rural RCMP arrested and charged Shane Brown, 32, of Red Deer with possession of stolen property over $5,000, prohibited driving and flight from police. Brown was arrested after police were notified that a truck stolen from Sylvan Lake was entering their patrol area, according to Gervais.
Police deployed a spike belt to attempt to stop Brown, however, he continued driving the damaged vehicle, eventually losing control and entering a ditch on Highway 567 near Range Road 24, west of the Airdrie city limits.
According to Gervais, RCMP Police Dog Services were called in to assist with the arrest and Brown was taken into custody. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital in Calgary.
Brown appeared in Calgary Criminal Court on Jan. 26 for a bail hearing. A spokesperson from the courts media department did not have an update on the outcome of that hearing by press time.
Theft thwarted
A resident of Morningside in Airdrie began a chase of three individuals he believed to be stealing two snowmobiles on a trailer in front of his home, Jan. 23, according to Gervais. The resident called RCMP and reported the crime in progress.
RCMP took over tracking the vehicle outside of Airdrie and deployed a spike belt on Symons Valley Road, successfully stopping the vehicle.
Three men ran from the vehicle and were tracked by the RCMP Police Dog Services. Two of the men attempted to hide in a Quonset hut on a rural property. According to Gervais, RCMP asked Calgary Police Services (CPS) for assistance to locate and arrest the two men hiding in the Quonset. All three men were arrested and taken to hospital in Calgary with minor injuries.
Charged are a 33-year-old man from Olds, a 24-year-old man from Calgary and a 45-year-old man from Didsbury. The names of those charged have not been released by RCMP.
Gervais said RCMP would caution members of the public about following anyone who has committed a crime.
“At the end of the day, it is only property that can be replaced,” he said.
