Calgarian Paul Belanger, 27, has been arrested and charged with multiple criminal code offences following a vehicle chase in two stolen vehicles that began in the Cochrane area and ended with a crash at the Stewart Creek Golf and Country Club in Canmore, Tuesday (Sept. 13).
The chase began at about 11 a.m. between Airdrie and Cochrane, where Belanger was allegedly spotted driving a stolen cube van. At the intersection of Highway 1A and 22, the cube van crashed into a Jeep Wrangler. The driver of the cube van, allegedly Belanger, jumped out, got the Wrangler driver out of their vehicle, and proceeded to Canmore, where, after leaving the Trans-Canada Highway and driving through town, it crashed into an RCMP SUV at the golf club at about 12:45 p.m.
Belanger was arrested after the crash when he tried to flee on foot.
Cochrane RCMP now report that Belanger has been charged with two counts of flight from police, robbery, three charges of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property – all related to the chase and crashes near Cochrane.
As to the Canmore chase and resulting crash, Belanger has been charged with four counts of flight from police officers, five counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, assaulting a police officer and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Belanger’s first court appearance was Sept. 15, and he will appear in Cochrane Provincial Court, Sept. 20.
With files from Cochrane Eagle
On Tuesday at about 11 a.m., Cochrane RCMP members were advised an erratic driver in a stolen cube van might be heading toward Cochrane from the Airdrie area.
One of the people who reported the vehicle in Airdrie said she and her husband were driving when they were almost hit by the Albertan man, who is now facing numerous charges.
“We were heading west out of Airdrie where we had been stopped because there was construction and we noticed this cube van coming up the walking/bike path – he was driving west on an eastbound road and he flew off the bike path where he flew in the air and landed in front of us,” said Abby Scott, a resident who lives in the rural area around Cochrane.
“We thought he was going to kill someone. He just missed us by inches.”
RCMP located the van a short time later in the Sunset neighbourhood of Cochrane and attempted to stop it, but the driver ignored police and continued driving, turning south onto Highway 22.
As the cube van entered the intersection of Highway 1A and Highway 22, it collided with another vehicle. The driver did not stop at the scene and drove south on Highway 22 until colliding with the Jeep Wrangler at the intersection of Griffin Road.
After the crash with the Wrangler, the suspect exited the stolen cube van, ran up to the Wrangler and had its driver get out before jumping in and fleeing the intersection
“As I passed Quigley Drive, the driver passed on the right hand side and got held up at the red light, he then tried to jump over the median in the van, but it wasn’t working so he tried to back over the median. But it was getting stuck, so he hopped out of the vehicle and took a lady’s jeep,” said Cochrane resident Kristen Janzen.
The suspect continued south on Highway 22 in the stolen Jeep. Fortunately, no one was injured in either of the Cochrane collisions, nor during the theft of the Jeep.
Witnesses reported seeing the stolen Wrangler travelling west on the TCH and driving into oncoming traffic.
In Canmore, the suspect driving the Wrangler lead RCMP west on the Trans-Canada, his vehicle left the highway at the west end of Canmore, then proceeded through the downtown core, across the Bow River bridge and travelled eastward on Three Sisters Drive before finally turning into the golf course property.
There, the Wrangler crashed into the RCMP vehicle, causing extensive damage to both. The driver was arrested after the crash trying to flee the scene.
The investigation into this matter is continuing and charges are pending. At this time, the identity of the suspect is not available but once charges have been laid, an update will be provided with additional details.
