Just before 11:00 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2018 police received several reports of a vehicle driving dangerously on the Perimeter Highway near the intersection of Highway 3. About twenty minutes later police began receiving the same type of reports about the same vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway near Elie. This time the vehicle was reported driving westbound in the eastbound lanes.
RCMP from Portage la Prairie who were patrolling Highway 1 spotted the suspect vehicle as it sped towards them still in the eastbound lanes. Officers were able to avoid a collision with the suspect and began following him.
Police lost sight of the vehicle but observed what they thought was the suspect waiting for a train to cross the railway crossing just outside Portage la Prairie.
As officers were trying to determine if it was, in fact, the suspect vehicle they noticed another vehicle coming up behind them very quickly. The vehicle slammed into the police cruiser causing extensive damage. The officers got out of their car and took the driver into custody.
After the crash police learned that the suspect turned into a property near the railway crossing, drove through the property making a complete circle and came up behind the officers at a high rate of speed and then crashing into them.
An investigation has determined that the vehicle the suspect used had been stolen from Winnipeg.
The 41-year-old driver of the vehicle Kenneth Martin Derksen has been charged with Theft of a Vehicle, Dangerous Operation, and Assault Police Officer x2 for his alleged involvement.
The investigation into the incident continues.
© 2018 News 4, a DigiPix Media Group company
.
