RCMP are shedding some official light on a bizarre highway chase involving a big rig cab on the Trans-Canada Highway near Gander on Saturday.
The incident began around 5 p.m. with reports of a stolen transport truck being driven by a suspected impaired driver.
Police learned that the rig, which wasn’t hauling a trailer, was heading east toward Lewisporte, and the pursuit was on.
They first caught up with it near Glenwood, just west of Gander, but the driver refused to stop and barrelled on through.
More police joined the operation, with several spike belts laid in an attempt to flatten the tires, and they did the job.
Videos on social media, however, showed the rig still racing along the highway on its rims, with multiple police cruisers and SUVS in hot pursuit — while others alerted motorists up ahead, complemented by real-time social media updates by RCMP.
The 90-minute drama finally ended in Terra Nova National Park, where the driver was pulled from the cab, onto the highway, and taken into the custody
Police say they also found open alcohol in the rig, noting the driver showed signs of impairment and refused the breathalyzer.
Thirty-nine-year-old William Morris of Bishop’s Falls was charged with vehicle theft, flight from police, dangerous driving, failing to comply with a breath demand and breaching a court order.
He appeared briefly in Gander provincial court on Monday with a return date on Tuesday.