A Nanaimo RCMP officer escaped injury Saturday when his vehicle was rear-ended by a suspected impaired driver.
The traffic officer was sitting in an unmarked vehicle on Hammond Bay Road near Williamson Road about 4 p.m., after stopping another driver for speeding, when a dark SUV travelling south on Hammond Bay Road ran into the back of his vehicle.
That, in turn, pushed the police vehicle into the one the officer had pulled over.
The SUV rolled after impact and came to a stop upside down in the middle of the road.
The officer immediately checked the two drivers, who did not sustain any serious injuries.
Other officers who arrived on the scene determined the SUV driver was displaying symptoms of being impaired by drugs.
He was arrested for impaired driving and transported to the RCMP detachment.
Both the SUV and the other vehicle were significantly damaged and were towed from the scene.
The police vehicle was also damaged but was driveable.
The officer involved “considers himself fortunate to have avoided serious injury,” said Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien.
“He also believes that impaired drivers, through their selfish actions, continue to pose a significant threat to all communities.”
Police said that anyone who spots a driver they suspect they believe is impaired is asked to call 911 and provide the licence-plate number, a description of the vehicle and its last known direction of travel.
