A man has pleaded guilty to four of the eight charges he faced after he stole a semi-truck in Mission, failed to stop for police in Chilliwack and crashed in Abbotsford a year ago.
Rory Serna, 29, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jan. 10) in Abbotsford provincial court to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, robbery and possession of stolen property.
His other charges – fleeing from police, driving while disqualified, and two counts of theft – are expected to be stayed at sentencing.
Serna’s sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 12 in Abbotsford.
Police previously reported that a bright-yellow semi-truck had been stolen from Mission on the evening of Jan. 14, 2022.
Abbotsford officers responded to reports of the vehicle in the eastern part of the city just after 10:30 a.m. the following day.
Chilliwack RCMP then attempted to stop the vehicle after it was spotted near Highway 1 and Yale Road, but the driver kept going.
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The truck re-entered Abbotsford, and police witnessed it collide with another truck and drive away.
Officers did not pursue the vehicle, due to heavy fog and the man’s erratic driving behaviour, the Abbotsford Police Department said at the time.
The vehicle was next spotted being driven recklessly in the McKee area, and then crashed into a concrete median by Immel Street and Old Clayburn Road just before noon.
The driver ran to a nearby business complex, where he tried to take vehicles from a couple of people as they were getting into them.
Two citizens got into a tussle with the man, and officers arrived shortly after and were able to arrest him.
Police described Serna as a “prolific offender” who had recently arrived from Alberta.
A 2016 newspaper article indicates that he faced 48 charges in Alberta related to a police chase and the thefts of trucks, trailers and construction equipment over several months.
He was arrested while attempting to steal items from a Canadian Tire store. Serna had driven there in a stolen semi-truck, according to the news reports.
vikki.hopes@abbynews.com
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