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Driver arrested in scooter hit-and-run near Calgary also charged with 5 armed robberies

CBC News | Posted: May 17, 2017 8:33 PM | Last Updated: May 17, 2017

Police say Airdrie man tried to fool officers by calling in his vehicle as stolen after fleeing crash on foot

Image | Piotr Glowacki from Poland hit while on scooter near Calgary

Caption: Piotr Glowacki is from Poland and was attempting to cross Canada on his bright green scooter when he was hit by an SUV near Calgary. He's already been through Afghanistan, Iran, Korea, Russia and a number of other countries. (Spencer Kennedy)

The driver of the SUV who seriously injured a Polish man on a round-the-world scooter tour was also involved in a series of armed robberies in the days and hours leading up to the collision, according to police.
RCMP arrested 27-year-old Christopher Ferguson earlier this week in connection with Sunday's hit-and-run and on Wednesday they announced a slew of charges against him.
Police said Ferguson was the registered owner of the SUV that hit ​Piotr Glowacki on the Trans-Canada Highway, just east of Calgary, around 10:40 p.m. Sunday night.
Ferguson had tried to fool investigators by calling in his vehicle as stolen just a few minutes after fleeing the scene on foot, police said.

'The vehicle had not been stolen'

An RCMP dog tracked Ferguson from the SUV wreckage to a nearby field, where he was arrested for failing to remain at the scene of a collision.
"The vehicle had not been stolen and investigators believe that call was placed in an attempt to avoid apprehension," RCMP said in a release.
Police said officers found evidence inside the SUV that ties Ferguson to an armed robbery that occurred at a liquor store in Carstairs about an hour before the hit-and-run.
Carstairs is about 80 kilometres northwest of the site of the collision.

Four other robberies

After executing a search warrant at Ferguson's home in Airdrie, Alta., police also charged him in connection with four other armed robberies.
Those include a liquor store that was robbed at knifepoint in Olds on May 8, two similar robberies in Cochrane on May 10 and another in Airdrie on May 11.
Ferguson was charged with a total of 20 offences, including robbery with an offensive weapon, assault with a weapon, failing to comply with probation conditions, impaired operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm, failing to remain at the scene of a collision, uttering threats and public mischief.
He is scheduled to appear in court in Calgary on May 17 and police said further charges are expected.

Scooter rider pursuing record

Glowacki, meanwhile, required surgery to repair severely broken bones in his left leg.
He had been on a global tour on his beloved scooter — which he has nicknamed "Papak" — with the aim of breaking a Guinness World Record for the longest journey on a 50cc motorcycle.
Glowacki told CBC News he plans to get back on the road once he's recovered.
Doctors have told him that may take three months or more.

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