More details have emerged following a dramatic police incident on the Pat Bay Highway Sunday morning that brought southbound traffic to a halt and left multiple vehicles damaged.
In a media release issued Monday, Saanich Police confirmed a man has been charged after a high-risk takedown ended a string of dangerous driving incidents across the Saanich Peninsula and Greater Victoria.
According to Saanich Police, officers were first alerted around 6:30 a.m. on June 29th to a white Mitsubishi RVR reportedly being driven erratically along West Saanich Road.
Witnesses said the vehicle had crossed into oncoming traffic, struck a curb, and nearly left the roadway. Although the vehicle could not be located initially, police issued a region-wide notification.
Over the next several hours, the same vehicle was reported in multiple jurisdictions, involved in incidents including failure to stop for officers and narrowly avoiding collisions with both civilian and police vehicles.
Related: Dangerous driving incident shuts down Highway 17 southbound near Sayward
At approximately 9:30 a.m., the vehicle re-entered Saanich’s jurisdiction and continued to be driven dangerously. Given the ongoing public safety risk, officers were authorized to make intentional contact with the vehicle if a safe opportunity arose.
Shortly before 10 a.m., three Saanich Police cruisers intercepted the vehicle in the southbound lanes of Highway 17 near Sayward Road. Officers boxed in the Mitsubishi against a highway barrier and arrested the driver at gunpoint.
The suspect has been identified as Jason Speare and remains in custody and is facing the following charges:
- Possession of stolen property over $5,000
- Dangerous pperation of a conveyance
- Flight from police
A witness to the events told Victoria Buzz that he saw the suspect’s vehicle strike two vehicles while fleeing through the intersection of Pat Bay Highway and Saanich Road around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
“He was weaving in and out to avoid more collisions,” the witness said. “The police were right there seconds after he flew past me.”
According to Emergency Health Services, they responded to the scene at 10:06 a.m. One patient was treated and transported to hospital in stable condition.
A DriveBC highway camera image showed several police vehicles at the scene, along with an ambulance and a dark-coloured vehicle pinned near the centre median.
Southbound traffic on the highway was shut down for several hours following the incident, with a full reopening confirmed at 2:40 p.m. Police thanked drivers for their patience during the closure.
Speare is expected to appear in court later this week.
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