The driver veered dangerously off the brakes before crashing near the Westview road surface, RCMP said
2023 is off to a rough start for at least one North Shore driver.
A West Vancouver man is likely to face multiple charges after he shot his Range Rover at a police officer trying to stop him and later crashed into a tree near a freeway ramp on New Year’s Eve.
North Vancouver RCMP said the highway drama began around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 when an officer driving near East 19th Street and Grand Boulevard East in North Vancouver noticed a black Range Rover making an unusual turn. The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but instead of applying the brakes, the driver hit the accelerator, fleeing at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic dangerously, according to North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson Const. Mansoor Sahak.
Because of the risk to public safety, officers did not pursue the vehicle, police said.
But a short time later, witnesses reported the same black Range Rover crashed into a tree on the Westview Drive shoulder of the 1 Freeway.
The driver fled the scene and police officers called in both a police dog and a helicopter to locate him. He was found a short distance away hiding in some bushes and arrested, Sahak said.
Police are now appealing for witnesses who may have seen the Range Rover fleeing the initial area or the crash on the motorway ramp to come forward.
“Although we have made an arrest, it is very important that we continue our efforts to collect all available evidence,” Sahak said.
Witnesses are asked to call the RCMP at 604-985-1311 and cite file 22-31739. “Police are also asking anyone with dashcam or surveillance video to come forward. Your surveillance camera may have captured something. Please check,” Sahak said.
The driver, a 61-year-old West Vancouver man, has since been released from custody.
Police are still investigating the incident and are considering laying charges, which include refusing to provide a breath sample, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and fleeing from police.
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