Police team work helps nab joy riders endangering public safety

Just after 9:30 am on January 30, Ottawa Police were looking for a vehicle that was the subject of a traffic complaint on Portobello Blvd in the east end.

The officer tried to pull the vehicle over but the driver refused to stop and they became engaged in a pursuit.

When the suspect’s vehicle reached high speeds on Innes Road, the police pursuit was called off to minimize danger to the public.

A second officer joined in the search from a different direction and found the vehicle had driven into a snow bank at Dunning Road. He saw three young men fleeing on foot.

A police tracker and his K9 partner followed the scent to a wooded area and located the suspects about one kilometre from the where the vehicle was abandoned.

The three youth, all under 18 years old, were cooperative and arrested without incident.

It turned out they were taking a joy ride without parental approval. The driver made another poor decision to drive at a high rate of speed on local streets, creating imminent danger to the public.

This is a reminder that speed limits are there for a reason.

Make the right call. If you see a vehicle posing an immediate danger the public, call 911. If you want to make a traffic complaint, get as many details as possible about the driver, vehicle, time and location and file a report online at: https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/contact-us/Online-Reporting.aspx