Charges are pending against a driver after a Stettler RCMP officer was injured when his police vehicle was rammed by a stolen truck on Monday evening.
Stettler RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the industrial area of Stettler at about 11:54 p.m.
Officers located a black Ford truck — later determined to be stolen — in the area of one of the local businesses.
The first RCMP member on scene activated the emergency equipment on their fully marked police vehicle. The truck proceeded to accelerate past the police vehicle.
RCMP allege that the driver of the truck accelerated, changed direction and drove directly at a second police vehicle in the area, ramming the front right corner causing extensive damage to the police vehicle.
After disabling the police vehicle, the truck continued to accelerate, pushing the police vehicle approximately three metres after the initial impact. The RCMP officer in the rammed police vehicle was transported to the local hospital via ambulance for precautionary purposes. The officer has since been released with minor injuries.
The three occupants in the stolen truck were apprehended at the scene and taken into custody without further incident.
Charges are pending against the 20 year-old male driver of the truck who is scheduled to appear in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday. Police have not identified him.
Truck passenger Christopher Victor Weich, 28, of Trochu, has been charged with possession of stolen property. Another truck passenger, Brady Shivak, 33, of Vancouver Island, B.C. has been charged with possession of stolen property and possession of crystal meth. Both are set to appear in Stettler provincial court on Nov. 12.