A spike belt was all it took for police to apprehend an alleged car thief from Burnaby driving a stolen Langley car last month.
According to a press release from the New Westminster Police Department, patrol officers spotted a blue Volkswagen Jetta at about 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15. The Jetta had been reported stolen from a location in Langley several days earlier so the officers began tailing the vehicle, without sirens or lights.
Police followed the vehicle over the Pattullo Bridge where waiting officers deployed a spike belt, deflating two of the vehicle’s tires, according to the release.
Despite driving over the spike belt, the suspect attempted to flee from police but the damage to the tires was too great and the vehicle was forced to pull into a shallow ditch at 132nd Street and 112B Avenue in Surrey.
“Dealing with stolen vehicles can be a very high risk activity,†said Staff Sgt. Paul Hyland in the release. “We are pleased that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion by our members, who were able to disable the vehicle and take the suspect into custody while minimizing the risk to the public, the police and the suspect herself.â€
Burnaby resident Phyllis Louise Clark is now facing five charges, including possession of stolen property, flight from a police officer, dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving while disqualified and possession of a controlled substance.