Campbell River RCMP say a 20-year-old man is facing dangerous driving and other charges after he fled from police on Tuesday.
Members of the street crime unit were moving in to arrest Simran Gill for alleged drug trafficking offences when he “attempted to flee from police in his car,” according to an RCMP media release.
During the alleged getaway attempt, he “ran into [a] police car and an unoccupied fifth-wheel travel trailer in the 900 block of the Island Highway,” the release said.
Rather than pursuing the man, police said they relied on calls from the public.
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Those tipsters allowed the Mounties to track his movements, and he was arrested on York Rd. following a “short foot chase,” police said.
The man is reportedly from Surrey and was driving a rental car that has since been recovered, police said.
Cpl. Ron Vlooswyk, a Campbell River RCMP spokesperson, thanked members of the public for their help.
“The real time phone calls from the public were tremendous and ultimately led the police to the suspect,” Vlooswyk said.
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The release noted that the arrest involved police dog services and traffic police, along with general duty officers.
Police said the man is being held on charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in order to evade police, failure to stop at an accident with another vehicle and resisting arrest.
The drug trafficking investigation is ongoing and charges are pending, police said.
