A teenager faces numerous charges after Barrie police say he stole a Porsche and tried to elude pursuing officers by driving through a farmer’s field early this morning.
The chase eventually came to a safe conclusion on Highway 400.
Shortly after 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, officers were alerted to a residential alarm in a secluded neighbourhood in the area of Big Bay Point Road and Hurst Drive in the city’s south end.
Police say responding officers located a broken window and determined that whomever was responsible had left the home before they arrived. It was later determined that a set of keys to a parked car had been stolen.
A few hours later, shortly before 2:30 a.m., Thursday, police were notified that a vehicle parked in the driveway where the break-in had taken place was in the process of being stolen.
Officers spotted the stolen vehicle “on a number of occasions” in southeast Barrie and made attempts to stop it, but were unsuccessful.
The stolen sports car was seen again shortly after 3 a.m. in southwest Barrie and again an attempt was made to safely stop it.
Police say the driver of the stolen car managed to get away and travelled through a field toward the southbound lanes of Highway 400 — in the area of McKay Road near the Barrie city limits — where it continued along the shoulder.
The car later became disabled when it got “hooked up” as the driver attempted to go in the other direction, said Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon.
At least one police vehicle, and possibly two, was struck during the pursuit, he added.
Officers didn’t pursue the vehicle through the field and it’s unclear what speeds were reached in the chase, Leon said.
“We weren’t going the route he was, for obvious reasons. It’s extremely dangerous ... for our responding officers,” he said.
The 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody and transported to Barrie Police Headquarters, where the investigation continued.
He has been charged break and enter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police (two counts), failure to remain at the scene of a crash, theft over $5,000, assault with a weapon, fail to stop after a collision, possession of property obtained by crime, and driving a motor vehicle without a licence.
The accused was held in custody pending a bail hearing, which was scheduled to take place Thursday afternoon, by video, at the Barrie courthouse.
When officers found out they were dealing with an unlicensed 16-year-old “with limited experience, that makes you realize the outcome could have been very different,” Leon said.
“And being under the cover of darkness, that adds a whole other element.”
