Man charged after stolen side-by-side rams police vehicles

The RCMP say a man is facing charges after an off-road vehicle worth about $49,000 was stolen from a business in Collingwood, N.S., and driven 50 kilometres to New Brunswick before ramming into two police vehicles.

Police say they received a report Friday morning that a 2020 Can-Am side-by-side vehicle had been stolen from the yard of an outdoor equipment business sometime overnight.

Investigators say another vehicle was used to pull the locked gate open so the off-road vehicle could be driven out of the yard.

A short time later, police received a call that a man had recently left a coffee shop parking lot in nearby Oxford, N.S., on a Can-Am side-by-side, and appeared suspicious because he was not dressed for the weather and was not wearing a helmet.

The caller told RCMP the driver left the area on Highway 104 and was headed toward New Brunswick.

Police vehicles significantly damaged

Officers found the vehicle — which was being driven down the middle of the highway — and tried to stop it. The suspect refused to stop and police did not pursue the vehicle, but it was later found on Old Fort Road in Aulac, N.B.

Police again tried to stop the vehicle, at which point the driver rammed one police vehicle and hit another before fleeing the scene.

The two police vehicles were significantly damaged, but no one was hurt.

The driver was located in the area and arrested a short time later. The side-by-side was recovered, and police say the man is facing charges.