The man Greater Sudbury Police said was involved in a string of hit and run collisions on Tuesday has been arrested.
GSPS said they received a call at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 21 regarding an erratic driver in the area of Cote Boulevard in the Valley.
Information provided to police was that the driver of a pick-up truck was doing donuts in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle was then seen being driven into oncoming traffic and was involved in a collision in the area of Skead Road.
The driver fled in the vehicle prior to police arrival. Fortunately, the driver of the second vehicle was not injured as a result of the collision.
The man driving the pick-up truck was then involved in a single-vehicle collision, and proceeded to steal a vehicle in the area of Old Skead Road. He fled the scene in the stolen vehicle. The original driver of the vehicle was not injured during the interaction.
The stolen vehicle was then involved in a collision in the area of Longyear Drive and Falconbridge Highway (in the Falconbridge area).
The driver of the second vehicle was not injured as a result of the collision, however, the man driving the stolen vehicle fled on foot into a wooded area.
The Greater Sudbury Police Emergency Response Unit – K9 Unit, assisted by patrol officers, conducted a K9 track in the area.
Members of the GSPS Traffic Management Unit were checking vehicles in order to ensure that the man did not attempt to flee in another vehicle. Officers noticed a vehicle that would not approach the police stop.
Officers approached the vehicle and the man involved in the incident exited the vehicle and once again fled into the bush.
GSPS patrol officers and the K9 unit remained in the area of Longyear Drive and Falconbridge Highway, believing the man was still in the area.
Then around 6:15 p.m. yesterday evening, GSPS said they got a tip that a man matching the suspect’s description had been seen in the area of Falconbridge Highway and Longyear Drive.
“Officers attended the area and located the man,” GSPS said. “Officers confirmed that it was the man believed to be involved in the theft of motor vehicle and erratic driving incidents that morning.”
The 24-year-old has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, failure to comply with a probation order (two counts), failure to stop after an accident (two counts), and theft of a motor vehicle.
The man was held in custody overnight to attend bail court today.
“We would like to thank everyone who called in with information related to this matter and to the community members of Falconbridge Highway/Longyear Drive who detained the man until Officers arrived,” GSPS said in a news release.
