Couple saved by tree as truck crashes into home
Police open fire at pickup, use force and canine unit to take driver into custody
Grant Hamilton and his wife can thank the tree that stood for two decades in their front yard for being able to wake up this morning.
They were fast asleep Monday night when a stolen pickup truck came speeding into their yard, damaging their tree beyond repair and coming to a halt when it hit their home.
“It was a huge bang and if it hadn’t been for that tree, that 20-year-old tree, I think we would’ve had a pickup truck inside our bedroom,” Hamilton said.
Calgary police say the truck was stolen.
It eventually made its way to the Hamilton home in the Tuxedo Park area following a lengthy pursuit, which began when officers spotted it at about 11:30 p.m. Monday in the area of 64th Avenue and 68th Street N.E.
A police officer shot at the truck after it hit a police vehicle and a house in Martindale.
“While attempting to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, a confrontation occurred between the driver of the vehicle and police, resulting in the stolen vehicle colliding with both the police vehicle and a home in the 100 block of Martinwood Court N.E., and the discharge of a firearm by a CPS officer,” police said in a statement Tuesday morning.
“The vehicle fled the area, driving erratically and at times steering into oncoming traffic,” the police statement said.
The stolen vehicle then hit another car in the area of Barlow Trail and 25th Avenue N.E. Police are asking that driver to contact them as they left the scene before officers arrived.
A few minutes later, the driver of the truck lost control and slammed into Hamilton’s home at the corner of 32nd Avenue and 2nd Street N.W.
“Force was used, including the use of a canine unit police service dog, to contain and take the driver into custody,” police said.
The truck first collided with the tree on Hamilton’s property before crashing into the house at about 11:45 p.m.
“I heard sirens getting closer and closer, then, all of a sudden this screeching brakes and this huge bang,” Hamilton recalled Tuesday morning.
He said he didn’t realize at first that the truck had crashed into his unit.
“I figured somebody’s probably hit the building somewhere.
“I went to the front door, opened the front door and there was a white pickup truck right outside our front door,” Hamilton said. “Then I looked outside the bedroom window … and saw the police take the driver down and handcuff him to take him away.”
After the tree was removed, police towed away the truck at about 8:30 a.m.
“It was scary. We had a little trouble going back to bed, I assure you that … It was a good thing the tree was there.”
Lynn Whitehead said he heard the incident on Martinwood Court from his neighbouring house Monday night.
“I heard an officer shouting at the guy to get out of the vehicle and then heard some crashing, like cars crashing, and some five shots fired,” he said. “This was all in a matter of 30 seconds, at most, maybe less.”
Anita Lal said she could also hear a noise, but didn’t realize what it was at first.
“We didn’t know it was shots,” she said. “It is unusual. This is a safe neighbourhood so I’ve never heard this kind of incident happening ever.”
Whitehead said the commotion caused a stir in his household.
“It was a little exciting, I thought,” he said. “My wife was a little scared.”
No one was injured in the shooting.
The offender was taken to hospital suffering injuries unrelated to the shooting.
The officer who opened fired is now on a 30-day administrative leave, as per policy.
Police Chief Roger Chaffin described the incident as another instance involving “a confluence of highly-addicted offenders who are motivated to flee in stolen vehicles creating chaos on the streets,” officers and the public being put in dangerous positions, and “the unenviable task of having to try to bring resolve to this before something terrible occurs.”
“Our city remains challenged with these types of events,” Chaffin told reporters following a Calgary police commission meeting Tuesday evening.
“This is just another one where you see this mix of drugs and guns and cars and chaotic behaviour.”
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the circumstances surrounding the arrest and discharge of the firearm.
Police said charges are pending against the man taken into custody.