Mountie Averts Parkway Disaster

 Vehicle Traveling South In Northbound Lane

A vehicle going the wrong way on a busy highway today was spared the worst possible fate only by the actions of a quick thinking Mountie.

This morning at approximately 10:45 AM a Nanaimo RCMP officer traveling north bound along the Nanaimo Parkway approaching Fifth St , was shocked to see an older model vehicle heading towards him southbound in the north bound lanes. As the vehicle passed , the officer activated his emergency equipment, pulled a quick 180 degree turn and took off in pursuit.

Many north bound vehicles had to swerve sharply to the right and left to avoid colliding with the car. The officer eventually caught up with the driver who finally stopped after being followed  for over a ½ kilometer with police lights and sirens blaring.

It turns out the vehicle was being driven by a 71 year old male who was somewhat disorientated and thought he was traveling in the south bound lane. After some discussion the magnitude of his actions set in and he was extremely upset by what had transpired. The officer decided it was in the public’s best interest to prevent him from driving any further that day. His vehicle was towed to his home and he was issued with a violation ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act for Driving without Consideration for others. The officer will also be recommending the male’s driving privileges be tested to ensure the incident is not repeated again.

“This incident falls on the heels of a horrific accident just 24 hours earlier on the same stretch of road. The graduated driving program is one way to monitor new drivers coming on board as is the re-testing of elderly drivers to ensure they too are fit and ready to tackle the challenges of day to day driving” said Constable Gary O’Brien, media spokesperson for the Nanaimo RCMP