Two Lower Mainland residents are facing drug-and weapon-related charges after unsuccessfully trying to evade a South Island Traffic Services RCMP officer near Chemainus earlier this month.
The evening of April 16 started out as a typical one for the SITS officer, who was conducting speed enforcement on the Trans-Canada Highway through Chemainus.
He spotted a U-Haul rental van speeding toward his location and turned on his siren, intending to pull the van over, but it wasn’t that easy.
“He could not have predicted the actions of the driver,” North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Krista Hobday said.
The van attempted to get away by crossing the median at Henry Road and driving south in the northbound lanes of the highway.
The officer determined that it wasn’t safe to pursue the van, while other northbound vehicles had to take action to get out of the way.
Eventually, the van took a side street, hoping the officer had gone away. The road turned out to be a dead end, and they were cornered.
Once they were stopped, the two individuals in the van were found with a large amount of marijuana and other drugs, as well as stolen property, break-in tools, and a prohibited weapon with ammunition.
Stephanie Joan McMillan, a 25-year-old Surrey resident, and Parker Allan Adams, a 24-year-old from New Westminster, made their first appearance before a judge on April 20, and were released from custody until their next court date.
— Kevin Rothbauer