A prolific car thief who seriously injured a woman in a rollover crash while fleeing police downtown Chilliwack two years ago will serve his one-year sentence out of jail.
The dramatic two-vehicle crash on May 31 , 2019 left an innocent woman’s car pinned up against a tree on Fletcher, the woman left with a fractured shoulder and vertebra.
The woman in this car that was struck by a pickup truck May 31, 2019 at Bole and Fletcher avenues suffered a broken shoulder and vertebra. Shaun Bolko was sentenced for dangerous driving on July 5, 2021. (Paul Henderson/ The Progress)
The crash was caused when RCMP officer Const. Michael Sabulsky spotted Shaun Darryl Bolko driving a pickup truck with expired insurance. Sabulsky identified Bolko as a prohibited driver and attempted to pull him over.
Bolko, with fellow prolific offender Kane Wilson on board, fled from the officer at speed eventually crashing into the victim at the intersection of Fletcher Street and Bole Avenue. Bolko’s pickup rolled over coming to a stop on its roof in a parking lot next to a residential building.
Bolko, 38, fled the scene and was arrested a short distance away. Wilson crawled out of the vehicle arrested at the scene.
READ MORE: Two in custody after two-vehicle crash and rollover in downtown Chilliwack
Bolko pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous delays getting to sentencing.
He was present in provincial court in Chilliwack on Monday (July 5) with his lawyer Derwin Petri. Petri and Crown counsel Paul Blessin (who appeared via telephone) issued a joint submission to Judge Richard Browning for a conditional sentence order of 12 months.
Conditional sentences are legally equivalent to jail sentences but are served in the community. The are only ordered by judges if they are satisfied the offender is no a danger to the community or a risk to reoffend.
Judge Browning agreed to the conditional sentence order (CSO) but did address Bolko’s extensive criminal history over the last two decades, which includes a high number of breaches and violations of orders.
Bolko was once on the list of top 10 auto thieves in B.C.
READ MORE: Top 10 auto theft suspect arrested again – 2014
Browning said that if it was not for Bolko’s positive behaviour, particularly becoming a positive role model at Ruth & Naomi’s Mission, since his release in June 2019, he might not have agreed with the CSO.
“Mr. Bolko has behaved in such a way that he ought to be proud of himself,” Browning said. “A CSO is not contrary to the public interest… it is a fit an appropriate sentence.”
Browning also ordered Bolko to conduct 25 hours of community service. He did not order a further driving prohibition, something asked for by defence, as it might serve as a deterrent to him procuring employment.
Bolko does not have a driver’s licence and the offence comes with an automatic one-year driving ban anyway.
“Until you have a lawful licence, you can’t drive,” Browning told him.
Bolko addressed the court and apologized to the victim.
“I made a lot of mistakes over the years and … that was an eye opener needless to say,” he said. “I wish to apologize to her. I’m so sorry. I’m just glad it wasn’t anything worse.”
At the scene of a nasty two-vehicle MVI at Fletcher and Bole in downtown #Chilliwack. One witness said one vehicle “T-boned” another. Fire crews using Jaws of Life to extract a patient in a second vehicle up against a tree. pic.twitter.com/oxhUOEZv73
— Paul J. Henderson (@PeeJayAitch) June 1, 2019
Wilson was not charged with any offence after the crash where Bolko was driving. Wilson was, however, sentenced to five years jail for drug trafficking in May.
READ MORE: Chilliwack drug dealer sentenced to 5 years
@PeeJayAitchpaul.henderson@theprogress.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
