A 20-year-old man was arrested yesterday after hitting the gas instead of the brake when police flashed their lights.

The incident happened mid-afternoon in Mount Pearl. RNC officers caught up with the suspect a short time later and charged him with flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and breaches of court orders.

Police also found that the driver owes over $22,000 in motor vehicle fines. He had no driver’s license, no registration and no insurance and was driving a vehicle with defective equipment.

The machine was impounded.