A Port Alberni man had his vehicle impounded after nearly hitting a an off-duty police officer in a parking lot.
On Tuesday, May 5 at approximately 4:55 p.m., a black Volkswagen Jetta was spotted in the Buy-Low Foods parking lot on Johnston Road, being operated “in a dangerous manner,” according to RCMP.
“The car was losing control, as it was being driven at significant speed, travelling towards pedestrians,” said Port Alberni RCMP Cpl. Amelia Hayden in a press release.
One of these pedestrians was an off-duty police officer, who had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the car.
“The ramifications of this type of driving behaviour could have been really serious,” said Hayden. “It is very fortunate that the pedestrian had the ability to react so quickly to get out of the way. Had this been someone who was not as agile or not paying attention to what was going on around them, the results could have been tragic. There is no excuse for driving behaviour like this.”
With help from a witness and security camera footage, RCMP were able to locate the vehicle and driver. The driver, a 33-year-old Port Alberni man, was issued a ticket for driving without due care and attention and his vehicle has been impounded for seven days for stunt driving.