(Laval) Four people, including three Sûreté du Québec (SQ) police officers, were rescued from the waters of the Mille-Îles River overnight from Saturday to Sunday, after a police chase that had begun in Saint-Eustache, in the Laurentians.
Posted at 10:52
The suspect’s vehicle was intercepted on Saturday, around 11 p.m., by the Saint-Eustache police for a violation of the Highway Safety Code when the driver behind the wheel of the vehicle decided to flee.
The latter, a 27-year-old man, quickly found himself with the police officers of the Sûreté du Québec, who monitor the highway network of Laval, also on his heels.
“They located the vehicle of the fugitive on Route 335 South towards Highway 19. Despite the activation of emergency devices, we are talking here about sirens and flashing lights, the driver in the vehicle refused to s ‘immobilize,’ said Sergeant Marythé Bolduc, spokesperson for the SQ.
The fugitive, with the police on his trail, changed direction to return to Saint-Eustache, this time taking highways 440 West and 13 North, where the hunt took a completely different turn after the deployment of a carpet at nails on a bridge between Laval and Boisbriand.
“The vehicle finally came to a stop on the Vachon bridge, on Highway 13, on the Laval side. Then, the driver, who was alone on board, got out of the vehicle and threw himself down the bridge, into the Mille-Îles River, in order to continue his escape,” said the door- word of the SQ.
The three police officers from the Sûreté du Québec present went to the edge of the bank to try to help him, but they too ended up in the water.
“The ice gave way under the weight of the officers, which meant that the police also fell in the water,” explained Sergeant Bolduc.
With the help of the Laval firefighters, those of Thérèse-de-Blainville and the Laval police officers present, the four people who were in the cold waters of the Mille-Îles River were able to reach the shore, possibly at the using a cable.
“The suspect was taken to hospital with minor injuries, hypothermia is suspected, however his life is not in danger. The police arrested a 27-year-old man from Laval, notably for flight and dangerous driving. The latter is detained and will appear when his condition allows it, “said Mr.me Bolduc.
As for the three SQ police officers who fell into the water, they did not suffer from hypothermia. They were assessed by paramedics on site, but their state of health did not require transport to hospital, according to the SQ spokesperson.