Three sent to hospital, West End neighbourhood damaged in vehicle ramming
A suspect was stopped after ramming a Vancouver police officer who was responding to the scene in a marked cruiser, crushing the front end of the VPD vehicle and flipping his own vehicle on its side.
By Stephanie Ip
Last updated 6 hours ago
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A chaotic incident in Vancouver’s West End early Friday put a senior and two police officers in hospital and left a neighbourhood street damaged.
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According to Vancouver police, a driver was spotted around 5:30 a.m. driving erratically near Comox and Broughton streets, hitting a number of street fixtures and trees.
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Police said the driver drove through the Nelson Park off-leash dog park, causing park users to run or jump out of the way to avoid being struck. A senior using a motorized scooter was struck.
Photos from the area show a large tree torn from the ground and laying splintered across the road, while neighbourhood gardens and planters were shattered with dirt spilled into the roadway. A motorized scooter sat in a bike lane in a cordoned-off section of the neighbourhood.
The vehicle was finally stopped after ramming a Vancouver police cruiser that was responding to the scene, crushing the front end of the VPD vehicle. The two officers inside the cruiser were also injured.
First responders, including Vancouver Fire Rescue and paramedics, were needed to help free the driver of the rampaging vehicle after it hit the cruiser and flipped on its side near Comox and Bute streets.
“Mental health and drug use issues are possible factors in this incident,” said police in a statement.
“The major crimes unit is investigating. The motive remains unclear at this time.”
The senior remains in hospital in critical condition. The two officers were also sent to hospital and being treated for injuries as of Friday morning.
Comox Street between Thurlow and Bute were closed to the public as police investigated.
Police have not said whether the suspect has had previous interactions with police but did confirm he remained in custody on Friday afternoon and was receiving treatment for injuries in hospital.
