An alleged drunken driver was traveling in Duncan when he dropped a wheel as sparks littered the 1 Freeway in a shocking incident caught on video.
The dramatic video, which is about 4 minutes long, was captured by a bystander and posted on Reddit, showing the driver of a white 2002 Cadillac Eldorado traveling northbound on the highway with the driver’s side front wheel missing.
The incident happened on Saturday evening around 10:00pm and several calls were made to the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP reporting the dangerous situation.
According to Stuart Carmichael, one of the drivers who shot the video, he and his passenger, Trevor Shevaga, immediately called police and provided an update on the vehicle’s location.
“We saw this guy coming into the oncoming lane and once we found a spot, we turned around and caught up quickly because he wasn’t able to go the speed limit,” Carmichael told CHEK News. “Trevor was getting ready to jump out and get my fire extinguisher if the vehicle caught fire.”
The video ends with the driver crossing the Duncan Silver Bridge before finally stopping at the Ramada Inn, where he is taken into custody by Mounties.
“After the car pulled up at the Ramada, we pulled over and along with another passenger in my vehicle, Steve Criscow, we all watched this guy in case he started running,” Carmichael said.
BC RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Chris Manso confirmed the incident and said that upon arriving at the scene, police found the driver outside the vehicle looking at the missing wheel and determined that he had been drinking alcohol.
He was immediately banned from driving for seven days and his car was impounded, but he has not faced criminal charges.
“There are a couple of different avenues available, you can either go with the criminal code, you can go with the immediate roadside development, the IRP, and whatever is more appropriate in the circumstances,” Manso explained.
No injuries were reported in the crash, and police say they don’t know how long the driver may have been driving without the wheel or how he lost it.
“This part of the investigation is still ongoing, so if anyone has a bike or has any damage related to a white car that may have hit them, please contact RCMP North Cowichan/Duncan,” said Manso, who also thanked to witnesses who called to report the situation and provide updates until officers arrived.
Anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP at 250-748-5522.
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