A compensation claim by an insurance company has delayed the final disposition for a man charged with injuring an RCMP officer with a truck while trying to flee a crash scene.
Justin Stead, 25, reserved his plea on Wednesday on 16 charges, including 12 stemming from the alleged offence, which injured the officer on Oct. 22.
Stead, who remains in custody, had his charges reserved until Jan. 5 to work out final details when he appeared in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday.
Crown prosecutor Tony Bell told court he hoped the matters will be resolved at that time.
Judge Bart Rosborough told defence lawyer Paul Morigeau that the next date will be the last in docket court for Stead, who has made 11 previous appearances on other charges, which are tagging along with the Oct. 22 allegations.
The judge said all the charges will either be dealt with on Jan. 5 or trial dates will be set.
Stead is charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm, dangerous driving causing bodily harm, assaulting a police officer, fleeing police, resisting arrest, possessing stolen property valued at more than $5,000, as well as less than $5,000, mischief, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
He’s also charged with fleeing police, stealing a TV valued at less than $5,000 from a hotel, dangerous driving and possession of a stolen pickup and ATV valued at more than $5,000 in separate incidents on Sept. 30 and Oct. 12 in Red Deer.
Police said earlier that an RCMP officer was hurt when pinned between a pickup truck and a dumpster while responding to a complaint about a motorist crashing his vehicle into a residential garage in the alley behind the 5700 block of 71st Street.
An altercation developed and during the struggle, the driver put the pickup in gear in an attempt to flee the scene.
The officer, who was outside the vehicle, was pinned between the side of the truck and a wooden dumpster.
The injured officer was treated and released from hospital.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com