RCMP are investigating whether a 38-year-old man who went on a destructive rampage in his truck at a Nanaimo mall was impaired by drugs.
The destruction took place just before 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 6th at the Country Club Mall.
The driver of the truck drove for less than three minutes, but in that short time the driver hit multiple vehicles, one of which was occupied, and several businesses, before driving into the outside wall of CIBC .
RCMP officers were on the scene within minutes and found the man still in the driver’s seat of the pick-up truck. He was taken immediately to a local hospital.
The occupied car that was hit was destroyed, though the 30-year-old male driver did not sustain any injuries.
In videos posted of the incident, the truck is seen veering through the parking lot, causing loud and excessive damage to the brick-and-mortar stores and cars around him. An RCMP statement says that the CIBC bank, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Urban Barn all received some structural damage from the rampage.
“At this time, investigators are exploring the possibility that the driver may have been impaired by drugs,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP in the same statement. “These investigations are often lengthy and time consuming, and it may be several months, if not longer, before investigators are in a position to forward charges for approval.”
The driver remained in hospital overnight. No arrests have been made or charges laid, as of yet.
The investigation is continuing.
