Man faces charges after alleged carjacking in southeast Calgary

A 23-year-old man faces charges after allegedly carjacking a vehicle from its owner who was dropping his grandson off in the community of Walden on Sunday afternoon.

According to police, the incident happened around 5:30 p.m. near the 200 block of Walden Mews SE.

Police say both occupants were able to escape the vehicle without injuries as the suspect — who was wearing a mask at the time — jumped into the vehicle and fled the scene and ended up in the community of Shawville.

That’s where Laura Pola, who was out shopping with her husband in their new truck, noticed a vehicle driving erratically behind them along Shawville Boulevard.

“They were trying to go around a few cars and tried to go around my husband’s truck and went through the intersection of Shawville Boulevard and Shawville Road and he sideswiped us,” says Polak.

Moments later, she says the suspect crashed the alleged stolen car into a pole at the intersection with Calgary fire arriving shortly after.

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“Tried to get him to turn the vehicle off, answer to them (but) he wouldn’t,” says Polak.

“They ended up smashing out the back window, trying to unlock the vehicle (but) still wouldn’t get any response from (the driver). They were kind of just assessing the situation and we’re all standing around the vehicle and then he tried to flee so he hit the gas, put it in reverse and smash into the front of the fire truck,” says Polak.

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Polak says that’s when the driver behind the wheel of the fire engine drove forward and pinned the vehicle between the pole and the truck.

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• Man faces charges after alleged carjacking in southeast Calgary

“The engine had already been struck by the vehicle,” says Alex Kwan with Calgary Fire.

Calgary police were called in shortly after fire crews pinned the vehicle.

Polak says it took officers several attempts to get the suspect out of the vehicle, who was eventually arrested and taken into police custody.

The driver who now faces several charges including robbery and impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

Polak’s new truck was damaged when it was “swiped” by the alleged carjacker.

“It was quite a story, especially explaining it to my insurance company. They were just like, ‘That’s a wild story,’” says Polak.