A slow speed police chase across fields involving a tractor, cop cars and a police officer hitching a ride on a borrowed snowmobile was like an episode out of the television comedy show Corner Gas.
“I’m from Saskatchewan, and it sort of was,” said Blackfalds RCMP cpl. Barry Larocque.
“This is the first time we’ve had a tractor chase we were actively pursuing with a private snowmobile.”
RCMP received a call about a break and enter east of Red Deer about 3:30 p.m. April 2, in which items were stolen from a rural residence, including firearms.
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About an hour and a half later, police received a second call that someone was driving a John Deere 6400 tractor with front-end loader out of a farmyard.
Three RCMP members happened to be in the area and started the slow speed pursuit of the tractor.
“It was slow speed the whole way, smashing into fences and stands of trees,” said Larocque.
The tractor driver tried to stay in the fields in an attempt to elude police officers in their cars on the road, he added.
One of the police officers flagged down a passing snowmobile and “was graciously offered a ride on his snow machine to track the stolen implement.”
Larocque said the driver of the tractor would pop out on the road and drive back into another field, hoping to get away.
At about 6:45 p.m., the driver tried to drive the tractor up a hill, but it stalled. When he got it started and tried to back it down the hill, he lost control and the tractor rolled for one complete revolution.
“The subject in it was not hurt at all,” said Larocque.
In the tractor were the firearms stolen from the first break and enter.
“He gave up to us and admitted to everything.”
Jesse Cecka, 25, has been charged with break, enter and theft, theft over $5,000 for the tractor, breach of existing court documents and multiple counts of mischief. He made his first court appearance April 3.
