Harbour Grace, NL — Harbour Grace RCMP responded to a collision near Hearts Desire on Tuesday afternoon that quickly escalated into a dangerous police pursuit and resulted in the arrest of two individuals.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., RCMP received a report of a vehicle crash in the area. As officers made their way to the scene, they were informed that one of the drivers had fled in another vehicle. A short time later, police observed a vehicle matching the description speeding in the oncoming lane—heading directly toward their marked cruiser. The officer narrowly avoided a head-on collision by swerving at the last moment.
RCMP followed the suspect vehicle to a residence in Hearts Content. The driver attempted to evade police by pulling into a driveway. As officers moved in to block the vehicle’s exit, the driver reversed and struck the marked police car.
The driver, a 23-year-old woman, was arrested at the scene and showed signs of drug impairment. She was taken into custody and transported to the Harbour Grace detachment, where a Drug Recognition Expert conducted an evaluation. Officers are awaiting test results to determine if charges of drug-impaired driving will be laid. The woman is also under investigation for flight from police, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and assault with a weapon—referring to the ramming of the police vehicle. Charges are expected.
Further investigation revealed that the original crash involved a 26-year-old man who was driving without a valid licence, insurance, or vehicle registration. He was also arrested and is under investigation for multiple offences under the Highway Traffic Act.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.
The investigation is ongoing.