Guilty in bridge chaos

Photo: Facebook

Ryan Regan

One of the men involved in a police chase that closed down the William R. Bennett Bridge in January pleaded guilty Thursday morning.

Ryan Regan and Michael Dennison were arrested at gunpoint on the morning of Jan. 12 after police attempted to pull them over in Penticton.

The pair took off and made their way north, where West Kelowna police unsuccessfully tried to stop them at Gorman Bros. Lumber Mill by blocking the highway.

The two men were eventually stopped and apprehended at gunpoint on the bridge, before they could make their way into Kelowna.

A Kelowna man who was travelling in Thailand at the time says the men were driving his recently stolen car during their flight from police.

Regan, 33, pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of vehicle, flight from police and assault with a weapon Thursday morning. A presentence report will be prepared for Regan, and is expected to be completed by May 11.

The other man in the vehicle, 25-year-old Michael Dennison, is expected to plead guilty next week. He faces charges of possession of stolen property under $5,000, dangerous operation of a vehicle, flight from police, operating a vehicle while disqualified and breach of probation, but it is unclear what charges he intends to plead guilty to.

Both men have prior convictions.

Regan has previously been convicted of fleeing police, and spent a year in jail for a break and enter in Kelowna in May 2010.

Dennison had recently been released from jail prior to January's incident, after serving 102 days for theft of a vehicle and dangerous operation of vehicle. He was on probation and a driving prohibition when he was arrested in January.