A prohibited driver has been taken into custody with the help of an RCMP police dog following an unusual incident in Carbonear.

RCMP were on patrol around 10:30 Wednesday morning when they noticed a motorcycle that matched the description of one that fled from police several times recently.

They tried to pull it over but instead the motorcycle sped off on just the back tire, doing a wheelie as it left police in its wake.

Rather than initiating a high-speed chase, officers backed off and came upon the bike a short time later after it crashed at the intersection of London Road and Veterans Memorial Highway.

They arrived to find the driver trying to push the bike along the highway; they also saw a quantity of cash and drug paraphernalia scattered on the ground.

The suspect then dropped the bike and ran into the woods, but was tracked by police dog Grinch and later taken into custody.

Lewis Sooley, 29, has been charged with four counts of driving while prohibited, dangerous driving, fleeing from police and breach of probation.

He was released to appear in court at a later date.