Update: Stolen vehicle flees police and crashes into building

A Calgary man is now charged with more than two dozen offences following an hours-long dangerous driving spree throughout the city that ended with a vehicle hitting a building.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, police were called to the area of 52 Street and 26 Avenue N.E., for reports that a man was assaulting a woman in a parking lot.

Upon police arrival, the man and woman got into a white Jeep Cherokee, which had previously been reported stolen out of Leduc on Tuesday, June 21, 2016, and drove northbound in the southbound lanes of 52 Street, nearly hitting the marked police vehicles that were responding to the incident.

After leaving the parking lot, the driver deliberately drove into oncoming traffic for a number of hours, going at speeds estimated between 140 to 180 km/h and running red lights. A number of other drivers had to take evasive action to avoid being hit.

HAWC was called to assist in tracking the vehicle throughout the city.

Just before 2 a.m., the driver of the stolen vehicle briefly pulled into the parking lot of a downtown casino, before continuing southbound on Macleod Trail at speeds estimated at 140 km/h on rims after the tires had blown.

The suspect lost control of the Jeep in the 5500 block of Macleod Trail where the vehicle went through a tree and lodged into the side of a business. Once stopped, the male driver fled on foot, while a female passenger remained pinned in the vehicle.

The Canine Unit was called to assist and tracked the suspect a short distance away where he was arrested without further incident. The female passenger was extricated from the vehicle by the Calgary Fire Department and transported to hospital in serious but stable condition.

The suspect in this case has also been charged in connection with an incident at Market Mall on Friday, June 24, 2016, where it’s alleged he attempted to steal property from a store, and when stopped by security staff, set off bear spray before fleeing the mall in a stolen vehicle.

The man is also alleged to have also stolen a vehicle from a home in Aspen Woods on Sunday, June 19, 2016, before breaking into a home in Springbank Hill and stealing credit cards and other items. The cards were then used to make purchases at several convenience stores around Calgary, and to buy gas in Red Deer.

Charged in connection with these incidents is Travis Ricky BALL, 25, of no fixed address in Calgary, has been charged with the following:

• assault
• dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
• possession of stolen property over $5000
• operate a motor vehicle while disqualified (x3)
• fail to stop for police
• breach of a firearm prohibition (x4)
• break and enter (x2)
• fraud (x2)
• theft under $5000
• mischief – render property useless/ineffective (x2)
• possession of a weapon dangerous to the public
• assault with a weapon (x3)
• operate a motor vehicle without insurance (x3)
• hit and run
• drive carelessly