For the second time this week, police have ended a high-speed chase with a spike belt by the Diefenbaker Bridge, this time turning up a stash of stolen property and weapons.
On Wednesday at 4 a.m. patrol officers identified a stolen vehicle traveling westbound on 22nd Street East, police reported in a press release. The officers followed the vehicle. It turned westbound onto 27 Street East and stopped.
Police turned on their emergency lights and sirens, but the vehicle sped off. It fled at high speed through the city, and then eventually turned onto 2nd Avenue West to go over the Diefenbaker Bridge. Officers set up two spike belts before and after the bridge, which successfully punctured the vehicle’s tires.
The fugitives continued at high speeds, exceeding 140 kilometres per hour past the bridge, then reduced speeds down to 60 kilometres. The vehicle turned west onto the landfill road and continued onto 15 Street northwest. The vehicle then began to pick up speeds again, accelerating to 100 kilometres per hour past the Buckland Fire Hall, and then started to lose control and drove into brush.
The suspects fled on foot. Police called in a Saskatchewan conservation canine unit, including an officer and dog, to track them down. The dog found a woman and a man hiding in the grass. The Prince Albert Police Service took both into custody.
When they searched the vehicle, officers found that it was full of suspected stolen electronics and other items. They also found a sawed off 12-gauge shotgun, another 12-gauge shotgun, a .357 Magnum revolver, a knife, a set of handcuffs and a case of .22 bullets.
Two people are charged in connection with the chase. Felicia Penny Sakebow, a 27-year-old woman from Pelican Lake, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, breach of court order and several firearms related offences. Roderick Neil Dreaver, a 21-year-old man from Big River, was charged with operating a motor vehicle in a manner dangerous to the public, evading police, possession of stolen property and numerous firearms related charges, according to police, though the driving offence did not appear on the court docket.
Both accused made their appearance in Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Prince Albert on Thursday morning.
