Man flees crash holding 2 bricks of cocaine: Nanaimo RCMP
A Nanaimo man has been charged with one count of possessing illicit substances for the purpose of trafficking after he was involved in a rollover crash earlier this year.
Nanaimo RCMP say they were called to the intersection of Estevan Road and Departure Bay Road around 7:45 p.m. on April 16 for reports of a rollover crash.
Mounties say multiple witnesses called police to report the crash, and said that the driver of the vehicle crawled out of the crashed car and fled the area on foot.
As police were en route, Mounties say several witnesses continued to provide real-time updates on the driver's location, leading to his arrest minutes later at the Brooks Landing Mall parking lot.
"Officers initially detained the driver for impaired driving by alcohol, however their focus quickly diverted after noting that he was literally holding in his hands two bricks of suspected cocaine," said Nanaimo RCMP in a release Tuesday.
Mounties say the two bricks of cocaine weighed about two kilograms in total.
The driver, 43-year-old Nicholas Harris, was arrested and released later that day with a court date scheduled for June 10.
His vehicle, a newer model black Jaguar convertible, was also seized by police at the time.
On Tuesday, Mounties said Harris appeared in court on June 10, when one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking was sworn in. His next court date is scheduled for late August, poliec say.
"The officers who located the suspect were gobsmacked to find the suspect with such a large quantity of illegal drugs," said Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP in a statement Tuesday.
"The officers would also like to extend their sincere appreciation to the bystanders who assisted officers by staying at the scene and provided real-time updates which allowed investigators to locate the suspect quickly and efficiently, before he had the opportunity to hide or destroy the drugs," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.