Impaired driver sparks grass fire after driving car with only 3 wheels: Saanich police

The vehicle is shown with its missing tire. (Saanich Police)

Saanich police say an alleged impaired driver is facing charges after they drove across Greater Victoria in a vehicle that was missing a front tire, ultimately sparking a grass fire on Monday.

Police say they first received a report about a car being driven with only three wheels in the 1400-block of Admirals Road in View Royal early Monday afternoon.

About 30 minutes later, another report about the car came in, this time in the Saanich area near the intersection of West Saanich Road and Quadra Street around 1 p.m.

Saanich police eventually located the car in the 4200-block of Glanford Avenue after it had stopped because "the entire passenger-side wheel assembly had broken."

"The driver had somehow travelled several kilometres into Saanich on just three tires, but not without generating several calls to police along the way and sparking a small grass fire on the shoulder of Glanford Road," said Saanich police in a release Monday.

The driver was taken to the Saanich Police Department and completed a breathalyser test, with the results showing a blood alcohol limit nearly two times over the legal limit, police say.

Police are now recommending charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle, and impaired driving over .08.