Residents in the northeast part of Slave Lake were awakened early on the morning of July 25 by the sound of a police pursuit. It wasn’t exactly a high-speed affair, which was probably why it lasted as long as it did.
The 20-minute chase ended with a stolen GMC van crashing into a light pole on 3rd St. N.E. Police arrested three teen-aged girls, and had the vehicle hauled away.
According to a release from RCMP Cpl. Scott Buchanan, the incident began at 1:30 a.m., when police received a call about a stolen van. Responding quickly, officers located the vehicle heading east on Hwy. 2 within town limits.
“Police attempted to pull the vehicle over and declared a pursuit when the vehicle failed to stop…. A spike belt was deployed and all four tires were flattened. The pursuit continued through town until the vehicle struck a lamp post.”
“It was silly,” says Buchanan. “It went all over town.”
Police laid the spike belt on one of the gravel roads in the northeast industrial area of town. By the time the driver lost control of the van, it was pretty much driving on rims, with “shreds of rubber” left.
Buchanan says no one was injured. Speeds did not exceed 90 kilometres per hour on the highway and 60 on town streets.
“Sixty is fast when you don’t have rubber on the tires,” Buchanan says.
Evidence of the chase is still there on 3rd St.. A scratch winds down the middle of the street before veering sharply to the left and ending at the street’s edge.
The 15-year-old driver of the stolen vehicle faces charges of impaired driving, dangerous operation, theft over $5,000, flight from police and driving without a license. Her first court appearance was still due to be set at the time of the press release.
“She was definitely intoxicated,” says Buchanan.
Her 16 and 15-year-old passengers are both charged with possession of property obtained by crime. They are to appear at Slave Lake Provincial Youth Court on Sept. 27.

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