Coquitlam RCMP officers were involved in a short-lived chase last night after a man suspected to be under the influence of opiates smashed into a utility pole near Mary Hill Bypass and Kingsway Avenue, lost a tire and fled on foot.
“A dog unit tracked the suspect and made an arrest quite quickly,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, noting no injuries were reported.
“He literally walked away.”
Several calls from the public came in around 8 p.m. after the man was seen driving erratically in the area.
In the end, six units were involved in taking down the man, who is now expected to face charges related to impaired driving under the influence of opiates, driving while prohibited and leaving the scene of a collision.
Opiates include such illicit drugs as heroin and prescription drugs like codeine, oxycodone and morphine. The category also includes fentanyl and carfentanil, which are 100 and 10,000-times stronger than morphine, respectively, and act as the leading cause of death in a rash of overdoses that have spiked through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is an opiate crisis,” said Cpl. McLaughlin, pointing to the fact it’s not just overdoses that can hurt opiate users.
“When it comes to any sort of impaired driving, think carefully whether you’re going to get behind the wheel of an automobile.”
