'Prolific offender' arrested after crashing into house in Abbotsford, police say
An Abbotsford Police Department cruiser is shown in July 2021. (Jordan Jiang / CTV News Vancouver)
Police in Abbotsford say they arrested a "prolific offender" who crashed a vehicle towing a stolen trailer into a home early Friday morning.
The incident happened around 4:20 a.m. on Highway 11 near Hallert Road in the city's north, according to a news release from the Abbotsford Police Department.
The trailer had been stolen minutes earlier in Mission and was loaded with ATVs and a dirt bike, police said.
Officers began following the suspect from a distance, using unmarked vehicles. Meanwhile, police set up a spike belt along Clearbrook Road.
The driver "attempted to avoid the spike belt by making a sudden right turn," but he lost control and crashed into a home at the intersection of Clearbrook Road and Charlotte Avenue, police said.
Though the home was occupied at the time of the crash, no one inside was injured in the incident, according to police.
The driver, 39-year-old John Szanto, was arrested at the scene and remained in police custody as of Friday night. He has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle, theft over $5,000 and breach of a release order, police said.
"Prolific offenders such as Mr.Szanto continue to impact our communities, putting public safety at risk," said Abbotsford police Staff Sgt. Mark Jordan, in the release.
"Our front-line officers are dedicated to holding these prolific offenders accountable by bringing them before the courts."
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