Holyrood RCMP arrests suspended driver after flight from police
Holyrood RCMP arrested a 45-year-old Witless Bay man Thursday evening after he fled from an attempted traffic stop on an all-terrain vehicle, while operating with a suspended licence.
On Wednesday, August 5 around 6:00 p.m., an officer patrolling the Southern Shore Highway (Route 10) in Witless Bay observed a man operating a side-by-side on the roadway without a valid licence plate attached, and without a helmet on. Police attempted to stop the driver, but he refused to comply and fled from the scene at a high rate of speed.
Surveillance footage from a nearby convenience store assisted police in identifying the driver, a 45-year-old Witless Bay man. Further investigation confirmed that the man’s driver’s licence was suspended, and that he had unpaid fines totalling approximately $11,000.
Holyrood and Ferryland RCMP officers continued to patrol the area for the vehicle and driver. The following day (Thursday, August 6), shortly before 6:30 p.m., police observed the man in the passenger seat of a vehicle travelling Route 10 and initiated a traffic stop.
The man was taken into custody without incident and charged with flight from police and driving while suspended. He was later released and will appear in provincial court in August 2026.
All off-road vehicle operators, parents and guardians are reminded that you are required to understand and obey the laws and regulations. RCMP officers are patrolling roadways and trails across the province looking for common Highway Traffic and Off-Road Vehicles Act infractions, like:
- operating without helmets or seatbelts,
- operating without a valid licence, registration or insurance where these are required,
- youth operating without proper supervision,
- riders operating at excessive speeds,
- operation in areas where off-road vehicles are not permitted.
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