Some Richmond Mounties got a wee surprise Thursday morning when a suspected drunk driver, allegedly involved in a series of hit and runs earlier that day, coasted into their parking lot.
At around 7:10 a.m. Deas Island RCMP tracked down a 1994 Honda Civic that had been reported stolen from Vancouver earlier Thursday morning.
The vehicle had already been involved in a number of hit and runs in Delta and, by the time police located it, was driving northbound through the Massey Tunnel.
Richmond RCMP then caught sight of the vehicle as it exited the tunnel. And as police prepared for a high risk takedown, the vehicle turned south onto No. 5 Road, heading directly towards the Richmond RCMP Detachment.
As police activated their emergency lights to initiate the stop, the Honda continued a short distance south on No 5 Road before making a sharp right-hand turn into the first available parking lot.
The parking lot belonged to the headquarters of Richmond RCMP. Numerous police officers in the parking lot joined the high-risk vehicle stop and the male driver, who is known to police, was arrested without incident. Alcohol was determined to be a factor.
Richmond RCMP are considering several charges including possession of stolen property, impaired driving, prohibited driving and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.
“While the idea of ‘drive-in policing’ may be humourous on a certain level, we also need to recognize the seriousness of the situation that occurred this morning,” said Const. Veronica Fox of the Richmond RCMP.
“Impaired driving presents a considerable risk to public safety and is treated very seriously by police.”
Richmond RCMP thanked the quick actions of several witnesses, who contacted and updated police regarding the investigation.
