2 arrested after stolen vehicle crashes into Oceanside RCMP vehicle
Two people were arrested Tuesday after a stolen vehicle crashed into a marked police car in Qualicum Beach, B.C.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. when police received a reported of a suspicious vehicle parked near Higson Crescent and Seacroft Road.
Oceanside RCMP were told that the vehicle had been parked there for about two hours with a man and woman sleeping inside.
When Mounties arrived and went to speak with the occupants of the car, the driver "suddenly started the vehicle and drove away at high speed," according to RCMP.
The car narrowly missed an officer before it struck the Mountie's police cruiser. The vehicle was then seen travelling northbound on Highway 19A.
A broader search was launched for the vehicle, which involved police dogs, a police helicopter, and officers from two other departments.
PROLONGED SEARCH
The car was spotted several times by officers and members of the public in different communities throughout the day, including Courtenay, Bowser, Union Bay and Horne Lake.
It was eventually tracked down to Qualicum Bay around 12:45 p.m.
While no one was inside of the vehicle, which was found near the 3200-block of Island Highway West, police say a 30-year-old woman was arrested nearby.
A 41-year-old man from Parksville, Mark Mann, was also arrested after being tracked by a police dog shortly after, Mounties say.
"The vehicle was determined to be have been stolen from Regina, Saskatchewan on October 1," said Sgt. Shane Worth of the Oceanside RCMP on Tuesday,
"Mark Mann was found to have outstanding warrants for of fraud and prohibited driving," he added.
Mann is now facing additional charges of hit and run, dangerous driving, obstruction, possession of stolen property and prohibited driving related to Tuesday's incident.
The female passenger has since been released from custody until her next court date.
Police say no one was injured in the incident and the damage to the police cruiser is "minimal."
"The Oceanside RCMP thanks members of the public for reporting suspicious occurrences in their neighbourhoods and as demonstrated, today’s call to police resulted in the arrest of a wanted person and the recovery of a stolen vehicle," said Worth on Tuesday.
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