In less than eight hours, London police charged two allegedly impaired drivers involved in two separate incidents involving stolen vehicles.
The first incident began around 6:10 p.m. Monday when police say a motorcycle heading north on Elgin Street ran a stop sign and struck the side of a police cruiser heading east on Hamilton Road.
According to police, an investigation revealed the motorcycle had been reported stolen on Aug. 16, 2019. The suspect was arrested, taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later released back into police custody with minor injuries, police say.
The officer in the cruiser was not injured, but the cruiser suffered about $15,000 worth of damage, according to police.
Police say a 41-year-old London man has been charged with impaired operation of a vehicle, altering plates, possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a Schedule 1 substance and driving while under suspension.
Roughly seven hours later, at around 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, police were contacted after an SUV belonging to paramedic services was reported stolen from Victoria Hospital on Commissioners Road East.
The vehicle was located and followed from a distance, police say, until officers were able to use a spike belt to deflate a tire.
Still, the vehicle continued heading eastbound and reportedly tried to drive into marked cruisers on York Street before the driver, in an alleged attempt to evade officers, drove onto the ramp of the underground parking garage of the London Police Headquarters, police say.
The woman driving the SUV was arrested. The police service’s garage staff have repaired the paramedic SUV’s flat tire.
London police say that in that incident, a 52-year-old woman has been charged with impaired operation of a vehicle, failure to comply with a demand made by a peace officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police and driving while under suspension.