Saskatoon police force vehicle off road after it dodges spike belts

Saskatoon police were forced to run a Jeep off the road Friday night after a failed traffic stop in the city.

Police said that about 8:30 p.m., patrol officers saw a stolen black Jeep Cherokee at Diefenbaker Drive and 22nd Street West. Officers tried to pull over the vehicle in a parking lot in the 200 block of Fairmont Drive, but the driver sped off.

Officers subsequently saw the Jeep leaving the city southbound on Highway 219.

“Officers deployed tire deflation devices on the highway, however the suspects avoided the devices and instead veered towards the officers standing nearby in a ditch, but did not make contact with the officers,” police said in a release.

“The suspect vehicle then sideswiped a Police SUV as it returned to the highway. Due to the erratic driving and refusal of the suspect vehicle to stop, officers immobilized the vehicle by contacting it with a Police SUV.”

Police said the two men and two women who were in the Jeep were arrested. The 26-year-old woman who was driving was charged with three counts of assault with a weapon and one count each of dangerous driving, evading police and possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Two 36-year-old passengers and one 45-year-old were charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000.