Image Credit: FILE PHOTO

CASTLEGAR - A Lake Country man is in police custody in Castlegar following a crime rampage resulting in the unlucky number of 13 traffic, assault and drug related charges.

Sean Patrick Byrne, 28, first caught the attention of Castlegar RCMP on Oct. 6 around 1:30 a.m., when he refused to stop his pickup truck for police after being flagged to pull over for a burnt out headlight on Robson Access Road near Castlegar.

RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said in a press release that Byrne was observed going down a dead end road and was pursued by a second police cruiser, eventually striking the cruiser in a further effort to get away.

Officers spotted the vehicle for a third time on a second dead end road and attempted to set up a spike belt. Byrne was able to elude police by accelerating past the cruisers before the belt could be set up, but he failed to make a sharp corner at the intersection of Lakeview Street and Arrow Lakes Drive, striking a cement barrier and becoming lodged on top of it.

Officers were then able to arrest Byrne. Police found over $10,000 cash and a small amount of methamphetamine along with some cannabis in the truck.

Moskaluk said Byrne was later released, but on the morning of Nov. 7, he is alleged to have assaulted and attempted to rob a woman who he received a ride from. She escaped, but Byrne stole her vehicle, which was then witnessed driving through a construction zone on Columbia Avenue where he almost ran over a flagger and several workers.

Byrne then fled westbound on Highway 3 where he got a flat tire.

A man believed to be Byrne is then reported to have tried to force an unsuspecting motorist driving a pickup truck off the road, Moskaluk says. He managed to stop the truck was assaulting the driver when a passing semi-truck driver saw the incident and stopped to assist. Byrne was separated from the other motorist, but then apparently tried to steal the semi.

However, the semi driver was able to subdue Byrne and hold him for police.

Police were later able to confirm the man’s identity as Byrne, who appeared in Rossland court and is being held in custody.

Moskaluk says Byrne faces 13 charges, including robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, impaired driving, assault, assault with a weapon, theft, possession of stolen property and drug charges.

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