Police say a driver who allegedly veered into oncoming traffic in downtown Vancouver Tuesday then drove in circles at one of the city's busiest intersections was probably impaired.
The alarming incident began around 10 p.m., when authorities received several 911 calls about a Toyota Camry that was seen charging toward a group of pedestrians at a bus stop near West Georgia and Granville streets.
The vehicle was then spotted driving in the wrong lanes before leaving the downtown core.
"It was obviously a very dangerous situation," Sgt. Jason Robillard said Wednesday. "We're happy that we were able to resolve this with no injuries."
Authorities confirmed it's the same vehicle that was caught on camera doing doughnuts at the intersection of Main and Hastings streets shortly after.
At one point, the video shows the Camry coming within feet of some more pedestrians who were in one of the crosswalks.
Police said a witness in another vehicle followed the driver out of downtown, and provided updates to a 911 dispatcher until officers could eventually box the Camry in a few blocks down Main near National Avenue.
Robillard said police used a "box and pin" manoeuvre, blocking the vehicle from the front and back. Fortunately, despite the wild behaviour, authorities said not even the driver harmed.
A suspect, 37-year-old Harpreet Gill of Surrey, was arrested and charged with dangerous driving. Robillard said they expect to recommend additional charges related to impaired driving.
"We do believe there was some alcohol and possibly drugs. We're looking into whether the man's mental state played a role in this as well," he said.
