West Vancouver police say impaired driving may be the cause of a crash that sent a Jeep through the wall of West Vancouver Fire and Rescue’s hall No. 3 in Caulfeild Saturday.
Police received multiple reports from the 4800 block of Marine Drive just before 11:30 a.m.
“Upon arrival we found a vehicle basically pretty much fully impacted into the hose tower at the fire hall,” said Const. Jeff Palmer, West Vancouver police spokesman. “Witness reports that the driver had exited the vehicle and started to run eastbound on Marine Drive.”
Officers found the suspect, a 23-year-old Burnaby man, about four blocks away on Piccadilly South, slightly banged up with abrasions, bruising, and lacerations from the crash and from his attempted the escape, Palmer said.
“It appeared that the male had suffered injuries from the collision but also had possibly suffered some after jumping off a retaining wall at the side of the road,” he said. “I think it’s possible he didn’t realize how steep the fall was over the edge of it.”
Officers took the man into custody. Police are in the early stages of the investigation.
“At this point, they’re investigating the possibility of (him) being impaired by drugs,” Palmer said, although he could not say what drugs the man is suspected to have been on.
West Vancouver fire crews were out of the building on a training exercise at the time, Palmer said. The District of West Vancouver had a structural engineer come by to assess the damage. “It’s substantial but they were able to continue normal operation of the hall,” Palmer said.
Exactly what happened in the moments leading up to the crash is still an open question. There were no skids marks on the road indicating swerving but rather it appears he negotiated the first turn in the S-bend on Marine Drive and then continued on straight into tower.
The man has since been released from custody. Police are still completing a report for Crown counsel that would recommend possible charges.
