High speed chases land man in big trouble

BY KEITH LACEY

A southern Ontario man who led local police on two dangerous high-speed chases last spring will have to wait several more weeks to find out how harsh his punishment will be after having already spent almost 10 months behind bars.

Jason White, 31, pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen car and leading police on two high-speed pursuits the evening of April 25, 2006.

Court heard White had got himself into all kinds of trouble in London, Ont. in the two weeks before this incident as he pleaded guilty to stealing $400 worth of meat from a grocery store, stealing eight pairs of jeans worth $600 from a retail outlet and then not showing up for court on those charges.

Assistant Crown attorney Andrew Slater said a tractor-trailer driver called police to report erractic driving on April 25 near Parry Sound.

The driver of a motor vehicle was driving so erratically, the transport truck driver had to pull off the road to avoid being hit, said Slater.

When OPP officers tried to pull over the vehicle on Hwy. 69 just outside Sudbury, the driver took off and reached speeds estimated at 125 kilometres an hour, said Slater.

Because road conditions were poor as there was a driving rain, an OPP officer decided to call off the pursuit because his cruiser was hydroplaning, said Slater.

The same vehicle was noticed half an hour later traveling north near Nairn Centre and another OPP officer gave chase for a brief period of time and reported the driver reaching speeds of 160 kilometres an hour, said Slater.

This officer also called off the pursuit due to weather and road conditions.

The vehicle in question was found by police in a ditch near the Spanish River bridge about 70 kilometres north of Sudbury.

The driver had fled into the bush, but a police canine unit tracked him down and White was found soaking wet hiding in a bush area, said Slater.

When he was caught, White gave a false name, said Slater.

Police also found White to be in possession of 13 grams of marijuana.

When officers asked White why he didn't stop for police, he told them because he knew the vehicle he was driving was stolen, said Slater.

Justice John Keast ordered a pre-sentence report be prepared before sentence in imposed.

The Crown is expected to ask White be given a lengthy sentence on top of the 10 months he's already spent in custody.

A date for a sentencing hearing will be set next Wednesday.

White also has to answer to fraud charges in unrelated matters from the Milton area when he returns to court.