VIDEO: Wrong way driver charged after car forced off the road
RCMP say they received 'numerous calls' about the dangerous vehicle
Article content
A 22-year-old man from Bloomfield has been arrested after a wrong way accident on the Trans Canada near Nackawic.
Western Valley Region RCMP Sgt. Dan Sharpe said the accident occurred Friday, April 26, between Meductic and Nackawic, when a car travelling eastbound toward Fredericton was forced off the road by a driver, in a black/grey Mazda, headed westbound in the wrong lane.
Sharpe said RCMP received “numerous calls” about the dangerous vehicle and there was concern for public safety due to the erratic nature of the driver.
Sharpe said an arrest was made less than 18 hours after the accident, when the suspect was apprehended on Saturday, April 27, at the Woodstock/Houlton border.
“He was detained at the border attempting to cross into the United States,” he said, adding the vehicle was seized.
Logan Sanders remains in custody after his first court appearance on Monday, April 29, where he was charged with indictable dangerous driving.
Sharpe said “more charges are expected” in the incident.
Sanders also faces charges of assault with weapon and two charges of uttering a threat dating to Sept. 1, in Greenfield; mischief, dating to Oct. 1 to 31, in Maple Ridge; and a charge of mischief, dating to Dec. 1 to 31, in Bloomfield.
A video of the accident, which was shared widely on social media, shows Plaster Rock resident Julie Arbeau swerving to avoid a head-on collision with the vehicle.
“It was over in 10 seconds,” Arbeau said of the terrifying accident. “So, you just react, it isn’t until after you start processing.”
She said she was travelling around a “slight corner” when she noticed the vehicle.
“My brain was like that car is coming at me,” she said. “So, I just swerved to get out of the road…and we ended up in the ditch.”
She said her vehicle, which rolled during the accident, sustained serious damage, and the air bags deployed on impact.
Arbeau, who was travelling with her three children, ages 17, 15 and 13, says no one was injured in the accident.
“It turned out fine for us, we are a little bit sore, but it might not turn out so well for someone the next time.”
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.