The West Shore RCMP say an officer was injured and a dog’s leg was broken after a speeding driver fled police before crashing into a cement barrier.
On Friday around 11 p.m., RCMP’s Traffic Unit and BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) were conducting speed enforcement near the 3700-block of Sooke Road in Metchosin, according to Mounties in a release.
Officers noted two vehicles travelling westbound at a “high rate of speed” before pulling over the drivers. While both initially stopped, the one driving a 2019 Kia Forte at nearly double the speed limit fled the scene.
Police say the Kia hit a BCHP officer’s leg while fleeing, and “within minutes,” officers received a call that the car had crashed into a cement barrier and landed in a ditch on Sooke Road, near Kangaroo Road.
The driver was then arrested for Flight from Police, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Proceeds of Crime, as officers allegedly found a large amount of cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia inside the vehicle.
“Inside the Kia Forte, officers noticed a dog who had been injured by the crash and was taken to the veterinarian as it suffered a broken leg,” reads the release.
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The driver, a 27-year-old Langford man, was released on an undertaking with conditions to surrender his driver’s license. He was also issued a violation ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act for excessive speeding, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.
“The BC Highway Patrol officer suffered minor injuries to their leg and is expected to recover,” said RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Nancy Saggar.
“This incident was a close call for the officer and brings to light the dangers of policing,” she added in the release.
ICBC’s crash map shows there were 42 crashes between 2017 to 2021 at this intersection.
Ethan Morneau
