An unwelcome houseguest surprised a local family living in the city’s east end on Halloween by coming crashing through their front door — literally.
A vehicle attempting to flee the police lost control on McIntosh Drive, struck a vehicle and crashed through the front of a residence. The house sustained major damage. No residents were injured.
According to a technician who was on scene helping put the house back together; the vehicle did about $10,000 of damage. It crashed through the front door and a closet, leaving debris strewn across the house and sending a couch flying about 8 ft from its original location.
By Wednesday evening, the house had been re-insulated and patched up; leaving the residents with a warm, secure living space once again.
Still, a large piece of plywood could be seen where the door once stood, and tire tracks were clearly visible on the sidewalk and gouged into the residence’s front yard.
The SUV had its first run-in with the police at about 11:30 p.m. near the Cornerstone Shopping District, where officers had flagged it for speeding. The SUV stopped briefly in the parking lot, but as the patrol vehicle approached, the vehicle sped off down 15th Street East. Officers disengaged due to high rates of speed and concern for public safety.
The vehicle was later located on McIntosh Drive, where officers saw it lose control and crash through the residence.
When officers arrived, a passenger inside the vehicle was arrested. He did not sustain any injuries.
A male driver, though, fled the vehicle and attempted to get away on foot. Police Service Dog Daxa began tracking the suspect, who was found about 5 km from the scene.
The suspect refused to cooperate with verbal commands. Daxa engaged the suspect by latching on to his body. The man was apprehended.
The suspect was arrested and taken to hospital, where he was treated and released into police custody.
Charges are pending.
