A Vancouver Island driver wreaked a path of damage after driving amok on the streets of Nanaimo last night.

Nanaimo RCMP stated in a news release that around 11:45 p.m. on March 15, a vehicle in Nanaimo sideswiped a marked police vehicle, which had its siren and emergency equipment activated in response to an unrelated call, in the northbound lane near the intersection of Terminal Avenue and Comox Road.

After this collision, the suspect vehicle continued on at high speed northbound through the intersection while the officer in the police vehicle broadcast a description of the suspect vehicle—an older model grey pickup—to other police. (No other vehicles were driving nearby at the time of the collision.)

Another officer spotted the pickup and began following it to the intersection of Prideaux Street at Fitzwilliam Street.

The driver then rammed his vehicle into two police vehicles parked on the side of the street, before he drove into the side of a building.

As he attempted to back up to drive away, the approaching police vehicle blocked him from escaping and pinned his pickup in place.

The male suspect got out of his vehicle and charged at the officer—the officer used his Taser and pepper spray on the suspect, who was subdued and handcuffed.

None of the officers and no one else was injured.

Two of the police vehicles had superficial damage but the other two were extensively damaged, and all are out of service while being repaired, which will cost thousands of dollars. 

The 57-year-old Nanaimo suspect is in custody and faces numerous criminal code driving charges.

“Our officers have had extensive interactions with this individual, with a number of the calls having a mental health component," Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson Const. Gary O’Brien explained in a news release.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Nanaimo today.

Meanwhile in other news about collisions involving police vehicles, Surrey RCMP stated that a civilian vehicle and a police vehicle collided today (March 16) around 1:30 p.m. in the 10000 block of 148th Street in Surrey. The civilian driver was seriously injured and taken to hospital.

Traffic in all four directions has been closed as an investigation into the collision continues on, and drivers are asked to avoid the area.