No injuries were reported after a vehicle slammed into the back of a police cruiser and then rolled along Nanaimo's Hammond Bay Rd. on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Submitted)

By Ian Holmes

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Alleged impaired driver smashes into back of police cruiser during Nanaimo traffic stop

Nov 25, 2024 | 2:44 PM

NANAIMO — A routine traffic stop on Nanaimo’s Hammond Bay Rd. reversed in a hurry when an alleged impaired driver approached from behind.

Nanaimo RCMP say it happened on Saturday, Nov. 23 at about 4 p.m. on Hammond Bay Rd. at Williamson Rd.

RCMP Res. Cst. Gary O’Brien said a veteran officer in an unmarked police cruiser with lights flashing had pulled over a vehicle on the right side of the road headed south.

He said the situation quickly spiralled into a dangerous scenario.

“The SUV struck him in the back rear panel on the driver’s side. It appears that the driver over-corrected and rolled, landed on its hood and airbags deployed and that individual actually walked away from that vehicle,” O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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All three drivers and lone occupants of their respective vehicles did not require medical attention.

O’Brien said the officer actually had one foot outside the driver’s side of his vehicle when the incident occurred.

A separate team of investigators were called in to take over.

“They determined that based on observations that the individual, he’s in his 40s, he was suspected to be impaired by drugs, he was taken back for further testing and that investigation is ongoing,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien noted the suspect vehicle was destroyed, the police vehicle damaged, and the vehicle ahead of the police cruiser also sustained damage and had to be towed from the scene.

O’Brien caught up with the officer whose cruiser was struck.

“He’s actually quite reflective, he’s realizing he’s gone to so many fatals involving impaired drivers and that could have been him involved in that situation and just by how it happened he was able to walk away from it.”

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes