Mounties are searching for the driver of a pickup truck who rammed two police vehicles and caused significant damage to a grocery store on Vancouver Island.
A statement from the Nanaimo RCMP says officers were at the Southgate Shopping Centre just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday when they saw a man who appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel of a white Ford pickup truck that was idling in the parking lot.
“Before officers could engage the individual to determine if he was impaired or in medical distress, the vehicle began to move,” the statement said.
The truck “pushed one police vehicle out of its path and struck a second police vehicle, causing significant damage to both,” according to police.
The pickup then sped out of the parking lot, driving up onto a pedestrian walkway in front of a grocery store, where it knocked over several displays of potted plants, the statement said.
“Due to the speed of the vehicle and driving evidence displayed, the officers did not follow the vehicle, which was last seen driving southbound on the Trans-Canada Highway,” according to police.
No one was injured during the incident.
One of the damaged police vehicles was disabled and had to be towed from the scene, according to authorities.
Police are now searching for the suspect driver, who is described as a bald white man who was wearing a blue jacket at the time of the incident.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or who has video from the scene to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
