RCMP use cruiser to push car with no brakes to a stop on Vancouver Island highway
RCMP had to use their vehicle to push a speeding car to a stop after the car – which was determined to have no working brakes – was spotted speeding on a Vancouver Island highway.
The vehicle was spotted by members of the BC Highway Patrol in Parksville, when the car was seen reportedly travelling 125 km/h in a 90 km/h zone on Highway 19 near Nanoose Bay.
"The car drove past the officer who immediately noticed that the driver had a stressed look on her face and had both hands off the steering wheel, gesturing wildly," said Mounties in a release Wednesday.
Police say a highway patrol officer pulled up to the car and determined that it was speeding because it had no working brakes.
"The officer manoeuvred his car in front of the speeding vehicle and, after several attempts to communicate his intentions to the driver, used it as the brakes to safely bring the vehicle to a stop without any injuries or damage," police said.
DRIVER WAS ALREADY UNDER DRIVING BAN
Once the vehicle, a 1999 Ford Escort, was safely at a stop, police say they spoke with the driver.
The 33-year-old woman initially gave police a fake name. After further investigation, Mounties say they learned that the woman was prohibited from driving and was also wanted on unrelated warrants.
Police also learned that the vehicle did not belong to the woman, had licence plates displayed that did not belong to the car or the driver, and the vehicle was uninsured.
Mounties also asked for a roadside breath test from the driver, which she failed resulting in an additional three-day driving ban.
RCMP say both the vehicle's foot brakes and hand brake were not working, and that the car was reported running through multiple red lights in Nanaimo.
The woman was served several driving tickets and has since been released from custody until her next court date. The vehicle itself was impounded.
"Police always expect the unexpected and this incident demonstrates how (BC Highway Patrol) officers work every day to make our highways safer together," said RCMP.
"Police remind drivers to obey the rules of the road and ensure your vehicle is safe to drive."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.