UPDATE: As of 2:40 p.m., Saanich Police reported that the southbound lanes of the Pat Bay Highway at Sayward Road have reopened to all traffic. Police thanked the public for their patience and understanding during the disruption, which likely caused frustration for drivers on a sunny Sunday.
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A major police incident brought southbound traffic to a standstill on Highway 17 near Sayward Road Sunday morning, following reports of a dangerously operated vehicle travelling through the Capital Regional District.
According to Saanich Police, the vehicle was first spotted around 6:30 a.m. on June 29th, with multiple reports coming in about erratic driving. The vehicle reportedly moved through several jurisdictions in the region before officers were able to stop it around 10 a.m.
A DriveBC highway camera image taken shortly after the stop shows a heavy police presence at the scene, with multiple cruisers, an ambulance, and a dark-coloured vehicle stopped near the centre median. Southbound traffic has since been fully blocked, causing significant delays stretching back into Central Saanich.
Police say there is no danger to public safety at this time, but the southbound lanes of the Patricia Bay Highway at Sayward Road will remain closed until further notice.
Drivers heading south from the Saanich Peninsula are being urged to take alternate routes.
A photo from the incident on the Pat Bay Highway Sunday morning shows several police cruisers with a vehicle pinned against the median.
Police officers can also be seen with their guns drawn ordering the driver out of the vehicle.
In an email statement, BC Emergency Health Services received a call at 10:06 a.m. about the police incident. One ambulance responded, and primary care paramedics provided emergency treatment before transporting one patient to hospital in stable condition.
No further details about the driver or possible charges have been released.
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