Saanich police believe the man covered in blood who broke into a Saanich home on Markham Road is the same man who crashed his vehicle on Interurban Road half an hour earlier.
Around 2:50 p.m. Monday, Saanich police received a call about a single-vehicle crash in the 4500-block of Interurban Road, near Camosun College. Witnesses saw the driver run from the scene after the vehicle crashed into a forested area and came to rest against a tree, said Saanich police spokesman Const. Markus Anastasiades.
Officers arrived and saw a person in the bushes matching the description of the driver, but couldn’t locate the man.
Around 3:15 p.m., a resident of the 4000-block of Markham Road, which run perpendicular to Interurban, called 911 to report that a man covered in blood had broken into their home. The caller said the man was rambling and incoherent.
Officers arrived and the man was arrested for breaking in. He was taken to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police believe the man was the lone occupant of the vehicle that crashed.
Investigators are trying to piece together what led to the crash, why the driver fled the scene and why the man broke into the home. Police are not ruling out that the man may have been impaired by drugs or alcohol or suffering from a mental health crisis.
“The health and safety of this individual is first and foremost,” Anastasiades said. “The impact this vehicle sustained as a result of the crash was significant and it is remarkable that anyone was able to walk away.”
