Photo: Castanet Staff

A 100 Mile House woman faces a long list of criminal charges for an alleged spree spanning the B.C. Southern Interior. 

Ashcroft RCMP was called Saturday at 10 p.m. about a suspect vehicle reportedly associated with fuel thefts in Logan Lake. The vehicle, a silver Honda Civic hatchback, was spotted by an officer along Highway 97C near Mesa Vista Drive.

An attempt was made to stop the vehicle, which left the highway and eventually entered a residential driveway in an effort to escape police.

With no other alternate exits, the officer positioned his police vehicle to block the suspect’s only escape route. The suspect allegedly accelerated towards and collided with the fully marked police vehicle, becoming wedged between the RCMP cruiser and another unoccupied vehicle parked in the driveway.

"The officer emerged from his damaged cruiser and ordered the female suspect out of her vehicle," says Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the RCMP Southeast District. 

The woman ignored the officer’s commands and continued to accelerate in an attempt to push through the blockade. 

She eventually turned off the engine, but when the officer went to reposition, she started the vehicle back up, suddenly reversed and accelerated towards the police officer and crashed through the blockage.

"It is very fortunate that our officer managed to jump onto the hood of his cruiser, and wasn’t seriously injured in the confrontation," adds Cpl. O’Donaghey.

The suspect returned to the highway where RCMP officers in Clinton deployed a spike belt and arrested her. 

Diane Carol Priester, 44, was held in police custody overnight.

She was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants out of Kelowna, Salmon Arm and 100 Mile House.

She has now been formally charged by the BC Prosecution Service with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, assault a police officer with a weapon, resist or obstruct a peace officer, possession of stolen property under $5,000, possession of a break-in instrument and 2 counts of breach of a release order in connection to last night’s incident.

She is expected to appear in Kamloops court on Wednesday.