RCMP charge 2 women following assault, carjacking near Sylvan Lake

Two women are facing robbery and weapons charges after a rural resident was assaulted and had her vehicle stolen in a carjacking near Sylvan Lake on Wednesday, RCMP said in a news release Friday.

The stolen vehicle, a Dodge Durango, was later seen travelling at a high rate of speed on Highway 11 toward Red Deer and then "driving erratically" on Highway 2 as it entered the city.

Police started a pursuit but called it off for safety reasonsbefore the Durangowas involved in two collisions in Red Deer, the second involving a van.Two women got out of the Durango and tried to steal the van before they were arrested by police.

The series of incidents began whenRCMP responded at 8:48 a.m. on Wednesday to a complaint that two women, believed to be intoxicated, were in a ditch on a rural property.

They had been dropped off by a man driving a 1997 Ford F-150truck before the truckwas driven through a fence. It was later found abandoned and on fire in a nearby field.

RCMP then learnedthat the woman at the rural property had been assaulted and her Dodge Durangohad beenstolen.

RCMP deployed police dog services and RCMP air services to the area to help.

Around 9 a.m. the Durango was seen entering Red Deer.

It struck two vehicles at 51st Avenue and 48th Street before colliding with the van a few blocks away.

Sylvan Lake RCMP later recovered the Ford F-150, which had been stolen out of the Rocky Mountain House area.

Two prohibited firearms were found in the area.

Police are still looking for another vehicle,a grey 2007 Chevrolet Silverado.

RCMPsaid theybelieve the man who dropped off the two women at the first rural property stole the Silveradofrom a nearby property.

Two women, ages 20 and 27,face various firearms charges including possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, and robbery. They are scheduled for a judicial interim release hearing on Monday.

RCMP are continuing their investigation.