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Car erupts in flames in Creekside

Police Briefs: Gondolas vandalized; Surrey man allegedly attacks pedestrians
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UP IN SMOKE A car erupted in flames at the intersection of Highway 99 and Lake Placid Road on Monday afternoon, March 16. No major injuries were reported. Photo submitted

Fire crews were quick to extinguish a Creekside blaze Monday, March 16 after a vehicle erupted into flames at a busy intersection.

The driver noticed smoke coming from the vehicle, which had recently been repaired for fuel problems, before pulling over near the intersection of Highway 99 and Lake Placid Road, according to an email from Whistler Fire Chief Sheila Kirkwood.

The driver exited the vehicle when bystanders attempted to use extinguishers from the nearby Husky Market to put out the flames. The driver was treated for shock at the Whistler Health Care Centre, but did not suffer any significant injuries.

Firefighters arrived shortly after to control the blaze.

Pair of gondola cabins vandalized

Vandals struck two Whistler Village gondola cabins earlier this month.

The first incident took place March 4 when a lift attendant noticed an individual scratching letters into a gondola cabin window, said mountain operations manager Adam Francis. The incident was caught on security cameras, and with the help of Whistler Blackcomb’s new RFID gate system, the suspect was tracked down by police and charged with causing mischief under $5,000. The man was also banned from Whistler Blackcomb property.

A second incident took place over two nights when the glass of an Excalibur Gondola cabin was kicked out and the interior vandalized with permanent marker. No arrests have been made.

Francis warned others considering similar stunts: “We won’t tolerate defacing and vandalism and we’ll prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law if (offenders) are caught,” he said. “We have a very alert staff that notifies us straightaway if there’s a problem with a cabin going up… (so) it’s pretty hard to get away with it if (people) are going to be foolish enough to deface our property.”

Surrey man arrested after unprovoked attack on two pedestrians

A Surrey man with an extensive rap sheet was arrested on assault charges last week after he allegedly attacked a pair of pedestrians in separate incidents.

At 3 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, police responded to an assault in progress reported in the village. When officers arrived on the scene, they observed two men holding down a third male, the alleged suspect.

According to numerous witnesses, the 22-year-old suspect initially approached a male walking along the Village Stroll and began “acting inappropriately and attempting to lure the victim into a fight,” said Whistler RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair. The suspect then reportedly punched the man in the face, although the victim was able to take his attacker down with an armbar and released him after believing he had calmed down. The Surrey man then rose and struck another pedestrian walking by. Both victims then held down their attacker until police arrived to take him into custody.

Police nab three suspects in 24 hours on drug charges in unrelated incidents

It was a productive day for Whistler police after three suspects were nabbed on minor drug charges in the span of 24 hours last week.

The first arrest came last Thursday, March 12 when officers observed a male pouring what appeared to be cocaine onto a smartphone while patrolling the village.

The suspect was apprehended along with another male accompanying him, who was later released without charges. A subsequent search of the suspect, a 23-year-old Whistler man by way of Australia, uncovered a half gram of suspected cocaine. He has a court date scheduled for May.

Hours later, just after midnight on March 13, officers were alerted to a male in possession of a substance believed to be cocaine behind a village nightclub. Police noticed the suspect attempting to hide in a treed area with “a dime bag of white powder sticking out of his mouth,” according LeClair.

The 21-year-old Australian citizen was arrested and released with a promise to appear in court.

Shortly after, police observed another male in possession of suspected cocaine. A search turned of the 24-year-old Whistler man turned up a vial filled with a white powder and a rolled up bill. He was arrested and will appear in court in the coming weeks.