Dangerous wrong-way driver on Pat Bay highway identified, RCMP say

The car was travelling north in the southbound lanes of the highway on June 7, 2023. (Batista Salem/Facebook)

RCMP say the driver of a red Audi that nearly collided with several vehicles while travelling on the wrong side of the road on the Patricia Bay highway has been identified.

Startling video shows the moment when the Audi nearly hits several a commercial truck while travelling north in the southbound lanes of Highway 17 near Weiler Avenue and Beavone Avenue on Wednesday.

The man who recorded the video, Batista Salem, says he didn't see any collisions but thinks the driver of the Audi may have been injured since they "hit the curbs hard a few times."

The video can be viewed here.

Police received a call about the vehicle around 2 p.m. on Wednesday but were unable to locate it at the time.

On Thursday, Mounties said the owner of the car had been identified, thanks to dashcam video provided by the public.

"This was an incredibly dangerous situation and we are grateful that no one was harmed," said Cpl. Andres Sanchez with the Sidney North Saanich RCMP.

"It was reported that there were several instances where this driver nearly caused head on collisions. At highway speeds this could have been disastrous," he said.

Mounties say the owner of the car has been charged under the BC Motor Vehicle Act, though they did not specify what the charges are.

An investigation is ongoing to determine how and when the driver managed to enter the southbound lanes of the highway while heading north.

The video shows the driver return to the northbound lanes of the highway once there's a gap in the concrete median near Beacon Avenue.

"The public is encouraged to call 911 and forward dashcam footage to police if they encounter vehicles which are being operated in a dangerous manner," said the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP.