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Whistler police apprehend driver of stolen vehicle who fled on foot

Police Briefs: Tow-truck driver fails breathalyzer; Whistler man wakes up battered and bruised
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Some quick-thinking — and fleet-footed — officers are to thank for apprehending the driver of a stolen vehicle who sent police on a foot chase after fleeing a roadblock.

The 31-year-old Vancouver man approached the road safety check on the corner of Lorimer Road and Highway 99 at around 2:45 a.m. on June 1 when an officer asked to see his driver’s license.

“He said he didn’t have it, and then accelerated and fled the roadblock,” Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair said.

The vehicle proceeded southbound on Highway 99 and ran a red light before officers lost sight of it. Eventually police caught up with the vehicle after it became stuck on uneven terrain just north of Whistler Road. That’s when the suspect, who police said appeared to be under the influence of drugs, fled the vehicle on foot, running through some bushes onto a golf course before being apprehended by two officers.

It turns out the vehicle was earlier reported stolen from New Westminster, police said. The suspect was also on conditions from a previous arrest not to be in a vehicle without its registered owner present. He now also faces charges of possession of stolen property and driving while under the influence.

Tow-truck driver drunk at scene of accident

A tow-truck driver was unable to separate business from pleasure this week when he arrived at the scene of an accident drunk, police said.

Just after 2 a.m. on June 7, a tow-truck was called to the scene of a single-vehicle collision in Whistler at the intersection of Carleton Way and Lakeside Road. (Police said the driver of that vehicle fled the scene prior to their arrival, and has not been located since.)

While the tow-truck driver was preparing to remove the car from a ditch, an officer noticed an odour of liquor on his breath and asked him to take a breathalyzer test, which he failed. He then refused to provide a second breath sample and was handed a 90-day driving prohibition.

It was later discovered the driver, a 48-year-old Vancouver resident, was a federal parolee on conditions not to consume alcohol. He remains in custody.

Burnaby man assaults police officer following arrest

A Burnaby man is facing a number of charges after he reportedly threatened and was violent with officers following an earlier assault arrest, police said.

At about 2:30 a.m. on June 5, officers on patrol in the village observed the 48-year-old walking with his girlfriend. One of the patrolmen recalled the man, who appeared visibly intoxicated, from an arrest the night before when he allegedly assaulted the same woman. As part of his release conditions, he was not to be in contact with the woman or consume alcohol.

While being transported back to the detachment for breaching his conditions, police said the suspect kicked one of the officers and “threatened the lives of both of the officers and their families.”

The RCMP has recommended two counts of failing to comply with his conditions and one count of assaulting a police officer.

Whistler man wakes up on his doorstep ‘beaten and dazed’

A Whistler man is trying to piece together the early hours of June 5 after he woke up on his doorstep “beaten and dazed” with no recollection of what happened, police said.

The man was last seen by a roommate around midnight leaving a pub. He told police he was not overly intoxicated at the time, which was corroborated by his friend.

Then, at around 2:30 a.m., the man reportedly woke up at the front of his house in the 2100 block of Whistler Way with a black eye, swollen face and symptoms of a concussion. He told police he has no memory of what happened.

The investigation is ongoing.

Police asking for return of child’s 4x4

Police are hoping a “guilty conscience” will lead to the return of a child’s mini-4x4 vehicle that was reported stolen from a Pemberton home last week.

The child-sized vehicle was allegedly taken between 6 p.m. on May 27 and 12 a.m. on May 29 from a driveway in the 9200 block of Portage Road, police said.

“It’s value is $300, but it means a lot to the young boy who owns it,” said LeClair.

The toy was spray-painted black and has some stickers on its front fender. Anyone with information is asked to contact Pemberton RCMP at 604-894-6634.