Stettler RCMP say that only the alert reflexes of the driver of a minivan prevented injuries in a hit-and-run collision Tuesday.
A minivan driven by a 70-year-old man was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of Highway 12 and 61 Street, police reported.
The driver of the minivan avoided injury only because he “gunned it,” said Const. Glen Gabruch, quoting the van driver.
“He could see the other truck wasn’t stopping,” Gabruch said.
The driver of the pickup truck, a 23-year-old man, fled the scene, but later reported the collision to the police.
He faces charges of failure to remain at the scene of a crash, and failure to proceed safely after stopping.
Rollover leads to charges
Two Stettler residents face charges of break-and-enter and possession of stolen property after a rollover accident left stolen goods scattered on the road.
Three people suffered minor injuries in the Feb. 8 accident, RCMP reported.
Gabruch responded to the rollover call and, in the debris from the vehicle, found a fire extinguisher that he traced back to the community of Linda Hall.
When the officer contacted management from the hall from which the extinguisher was taken, no one was aware that the building had been broken into. A quick investigation revealed the extinguisher and “a long feathered pen” were the only items taken from the hall.
A 19-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, passengers in the vehicle, were questioned and charged, RCMP said. The break-and-enter was believed to have occurred days before the accident.
The 20-year-old driver of the vehicle was cleared of any involvement in the break-and-enter, police said. No charges were laid in relation to the rollover.