The RCMP and B.C.’s police watchdog are investigating after a man allegedly stole a police cruiser from a hospital and crashed into multiple other vehicles.
According to the RCMP, the man — who was not permitted to leave the hospital premises — fled on foot around noon.
Investigators said an RCMP officer found him, but not before the man jumped into the cruiser and fled.
According to police, the man crashed into a civilian vehicle and an unmarked police vehicle near Gilbert Road and Donald Road before crashing into a second civilian vehicle.
Video from the scene being widely shared on social media shows a police cruiser with major front-end damage.
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Two other civilian vehicles were also damaged: a white sedan with front and rear-end damage, and a silver mini van with front-end damage.
BC Emergency Health Services said paramedics were called to the scene just after 12:30 p.m.
Police said a woman was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while one officer suffered minor injuries.
The cause of the crash remains unclear.
Richmond RCMP said the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), which investigates police-related incidents involving death or serious injury, has asserted jurisdiction over the crash, and that further updates would come from the B.C. RCMP.
-More to come…
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