Truck ditched in Calgary park after nighttime joyride
Police are concerned that someone's idea of a fun whip through a park could end tragically.
This week police towed an old truck back to the address where it was registered after they found it ditched and stuck in the middle of Erin Woods Park.
Tire marks throughout the snow-covered greenspace show someone took a joyride up, down and all around the community park — including around a small tree and over a small tobogganing hill.
Laurin Lonneberg was cutting through the park when she noticed bright floodlights — which made her nervous at first.
"I looked over and it was a cop car," Lonneberg said. "And then I looked over into this ditch over here and noticed an old Chevy truck."
It made her think twice about her route home especially with earbuds in.
Growing up in the neighbourhood she's seen a lot go down in the park — including a couple people taking motocross practice runs up and down the hilly landscape one summer.
"It's not ideal but you know, people will do what they want to do for entertainment," she said. "But there's tons of other entertainment in this modern age."
Not ideal is an understatement when you ask the community resource officer for the area.
"It makes no sense," said Const. Cindy Robinson. "There's no reason to drive a car in there."
Police don't want to 'run over a resident'
Robinson is convinced sooner or later, someone is going to be hurt.
She said she's had multiple reports about vehicles that shouldn't be in the park, using it as either a short cut or to cruise around. Personally, she said she once tried to catch someone who was driving a moped or motorcycle through the park — but they got away.
The way the roads in Erin Woods curve around the green space make it easy to use the park to cut through, but tough to catch up to a vehicle inside of the park. And Robinson said although police could drive through and pursue someone in the park, officers have to weigh the risk.
"I don't want to run over a resident trying to stop someone else," Robinson said.
Suspect already identified for latest incident
Robinson said police do have a suspect in mind for the latest incident but haven't apprehended anyone yet.
Lori Losowy is the Erin Woods Community Association president. She lives right beside the park and has been trying to find a solution to reckless behaviour.
She says in the summer, someone took out a sturdy metal bench with a vehicle and she's also seen trucks play chicken on the slopes that kids use as a toboggan hill during the day.
Community Association say safety is the biggest concern
"My concern is somebody gets hit," Losowy said. " What if nobody even realizes it and they're not even found — you know they get knocked out or something and you're in the snow all night. Just safety is the biggest concern."
She says people use the park as a thoroughfare while walking at night but added some residents also walk their dogs.
One of the main issues is how fast drivers are able to zip in and out of the park and she says if they see police coming, they can often get away.
"We're just trying to get awareness out there that people should look out the window if they hear people driving around," she said. "If you're not sure what it is — call the police, and hopefully they can get HAWCS here and trace them.
