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Milk truck robbery suspect now faces 23 additional criminal charges

A 32-year-old Ottawa man is now facing nearly 30 criminal charges, including impaired driving while on drugs, after a series of alleged incidents involving multiple stolen vehicles on Friday, police say.

It began at about 9:30 a.m. on April 17 when a pickup truck that had been taken by the suspect without consent was seen driving erratically and smashed into a fence near Canotek Road in the Gloucester neighbourhood.

The same pickup truck was then seen smashing through a gate at the end of nearby Rebecca Street to get onto the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, which runs along the Ottawa River, Ottawa police said in a media release issued Wednesday.

On the parkway, the pickup truck then forced another vehicle off the road and a crash occurred, police said.

The suspect in the truck got out of the truck, threatened the driver of the other vehicle and "also tried to forcibly remove him," police said. The driver got out and the suspect fled along the parkway in the stolen vehicle.

The suspect then cut off and stopped yet another driver on the parkway, but didn't succeed in taking that vehicle, police said.

A short while later the suspect arrived on Jolliet Avenue in Vanier where he abandoned the stolen vehicle, hopped into the cab of an unlocked milk truck that was parked next to a convenience store for a delivery, and drove off.

Alain Parent, who had been making the milk delivery in the 10-wheeler truck, was inside the rear of the truck getting the milk order ready when the suspect drove off. He pulled out his cellphone, which he usually leaves in the cab of the truck, dialled 911 and tried to tell the dispatcher where he was based on what he could see out the back of the truck.

'I couldn't believe it,' says milk truck driver taken for wild ride

"I couldn't believe it," he told CBC News. "The ride was really intense. It was really bumpy. He went through a park at one point. He went down the stairs. It was a pretty rough ride."

As the stolen truck made its way through Vanier and Lowertown, portions of the milk load flew from the truck and struck multiple vehicles, police said. Other vehicles and objects were also hit by the truck, as well as several fences and at least one light standard.

"The suspect stopped along Charlevoix Street, ... came across a construction worker and attempted to rob the worker of his vehicle keys," police said. "The worker and the suspect scuffled before the suspect abandoned this attempt and returned to the milk delivery truck."

Finally, police in two cruisers managed to box in the truck and force it to stop on Cathcart Street in Lowertown. One officer suffered minor injuries and the two cruisers were damaged.

The suspect was taken to hospital for assessment and was returned to police custody a short time later, police said.

That same day, the 32-year-old man was initially charged with two counts of robbery, theft over $5,000 and breach of probation.

On Tuesday, he was also charged with:

- Taking a motor vehicle without consent.

- Two counts of dangerous driving.

- Flight from police.

- Impaired operation of a motor vehicle by drugs.

- Eleven counts of failing to remain at the scene of a collision.

- Five counts of mischief under $5,000.

- Attempted robbery.

- Assault with a weapon.