A Mountie was taken to hospital after his vehicle was rear-ended while conducting a traffic stop on Highway 1 Wednesday night.
The incident happened shortly after 11:30 p.m. near North Road and Gaglardi Way. An officer with the RCMP’s Port Mann Traffic Service had pulled over two westbound vehicles for allegedly racing on the highway and travelling more than 45 kilometres over the speed limit in the rain, according to a press release from Lower Mainland RCMP.
The officer was in his vehicle with its emergency lights on when a car crashed into him from behind. The driver of the vehicle got out of his car and fled on foot, noted the release.
The police dog team was dispatched to locate the suspect in the crash, but they were unsuccessful.
The suspect has since been apprehended and is now in custody while the investigation continues, according to RCMP.
The RCMP officer involved in the crash was taken to hospital with minor injuries. He was released a short while later.
“Although police officers conduct traffic stops every day, there are no routine traffic stops,” said Sgt. Annie Linteau, media relations officer, Lower Mainland District, in a media release. “During every traffic stop, police officers run the risk of being seriously injured or killed. Police officers understand this risk and continue to conduct speed enforcement along this corridor to ensure the safety of the public.”
Officers are now investigating the cause of the crash.
The investigation into the alleged street race is also ongoing. Neither driver was arrested, and no charges have been laid.’
