Police officers stand beside the damaged truck. (Submitted/ Facebook)

By Nigel Maxwell

Man assaulted and robbed of vehicle after picking up hitchhiker

Mar 4, 2025 | 11:00 AM

Three people have been charged in connection to an incident in Prince Albert’s west flat on Saturday that saw a vehicle, essentially riding on its rims, fleeing from police at a high rate of speed.

At approximately 2:10 p.m., Prince Albert RCMP first received a report of an injured man walking in the area of Hazelwood Road and Highway 302 East, approximately 10 kilometers from the city.

Officers responded, along with local EMS, and located the injured man. The subsequent investigation determined he had stopped to assist another man he had seen walking on the side of the road.

While the two men were in the vehicle, the passenger assaulted the driver. The driver exited the vehicle and the passenger then stole the truck. The injured man was taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening.

“The two males were not known to one another,” the RCMP confirmed in a media release on Tuesday.

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Officers made patrols in the area and located the stolen truck travelling southbound on Highway 2 towards the City of Prince Albert. Multiple occupants were observed in the truck. Officers engaged their emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop, but the truck fled at a high rate of speed. Officers then followed in the direction of the suspect vehicle into the City of Prince Albert, but later lost sight of it.

Later that same day, Prince Albert RCMP located the truck driving eastbound on Highway 302 West, heading back towards Prince Albert.

“For safety reasons, a tire deflation device was set up and the truck ran it over, causing all four tires to deflate, but the truck continued to flee from police at a reduced speed,” RCMP explained.

Police were later able to stop it in the City of Prince Albert. Two men and a woman were arrested at the scene with the assistance of Prince Albert Police Service.

Terrance Gardiner, 36, from Île-à-la-Crosse, Sask. was charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, flight from police.

Wayne Merasty, 34, from Île-à-la-Crosse, SK and 19-year-old Nadine Stalthanee from Black Lake, are each charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Prince Albert RCMP continue to investigate. The Prince Albert Police Service assisted in this investigation.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social