RCMP Traffic Services on the west coast stopped and arrested an ATV driver who fled from police while carrying three people, including a child, on his machine.

A police officer conducting traffic enforcement in Lourdes on Saturday evening noticed an ATV driving down the main road with four people on board, including one child.

None of the people on the quad were wearing helmets.

When the police officer attempted to pull the machine over, it turned off the road onto a nearby trail.

The officer ran after the machine on foot, and came across one of the passengers who had been thrown off the ATV. The vehicle was found a short time later with the driver and two remaining passengers.

No injuries were reported.

The driver, a 38-year-old man, was arrested, and a roadside breath test resulted in a breath sample that was above the provincial limit, but below the criminal threshold for impaired driving.

He was charged with flight from police, dangerous driving, and driving with a suspended license. He was issued another seven-day licence suspension and is expected to appear in court in October.