A Cowichan Valley man wreaked havoc along Victoria streets Thursday night, ramming his truck into cars and a police cruiser as he led officers on a slow-speed chase.
It started about 11:30 p.m. when a large grey truck bumped into the driver's side door of a car parked at Clover Point. The couple in the car told police the man then floored the truck, trying to push the smaller vehicle out of the way, said Victoria police spokesman Const. Mike Russell.
The driver of the car was able to reverse and get out of the way, as the driver of the truck took off.
Police officers saw the grey truck turn onto Cook Street where the driver waited for police in the parking lot of a car dealership.
When a police cruiser pulled into the parking lot, the driver reversed and rammed into the cruiser several times before driving down Yates Street.
"Again, the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road, apparently waiting for more police to come on scene," Russell said.
The truck drove toward a large group of people outside Sugar Nightclub. No one was injured.
The driver also almost drove into someone at a bus stop.
The truck then rear-ended a car at Douglas and Fisgard streets and kept going north on Douglas.
During the incident, the man drove well below the speed limit.
Just before midnight, the man reached the parking lot of Mayfair mall, and stopped his truck as if to fight police.
A Saanich police canine team and several officers were able to arrest him and "end this strange and dangerous flight from police," Russell said.
"It's very fortunate no one was injured."
After police identified the man as a 41-year-old Duncan resident, they asked North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP to check his home. They found the door open and discovered a marijuana grow-op.
Victoria police are recommending several charges, including resisting arrest, four counts of failing to stop at the scene of a collision, flight from police officer, assault with a weapon, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and two counts of assaulting a police officer.