Police are investigating an alleged road rage incident in Mission after a woman claims two men pulled out weapons and chased after her.
Glacier Media has granted the woman anonymity as she fears for her safety and retaliation if her identity is released.
The incident unfolded just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday (April 6) when she was driving from Maple Ridge to Mission along Dewdney Trunk Road. She tried to pass a vehicle on a dashed yellow line when the vehicle in front of her swerved over blocking her.
"I went to check if there was oncoming traffic he kind of veered out a little bit and I thought that was kind of weird but maybe there was a pothole or a dead animal I didn’t see,” she says.
After a few minutes the woman, who is in her 20s and is from Mission, signalled and tried to pass again.
“I get into the oncoming traffic lane to pass and he just swerves completely in the lane and stays there so I am unable to pass him,” she says.
She continued on the road with the driver in front of her and claims the driver abruptly stopped twice.
"I lay on my horn for a good 30 seconds and that’s when he brake checks me a third time, stops, and I see both the driver’s side and passenger's side door open,” she says.
Instinctively, she started to back up her vehicle away from them.
"The driver ran out and from a little storage area in the back pulls out what looked like a hockey stick or a lacrosse stick or something, the passenger took a moment to get out and came out I saw that he had a black handgun,” she says. "The gun was never actually pointed at me I saw him tuck it away."
Sgt. Amanda Harnett with Ridge Meadows RCMP says police are actively investigating an erratic driving incident.
"Police have identified the registered owners of the two vehicles involved in this incident,” she says. "Social media speculation suggested a possibility that a firearm was produced in this incident however, at this early stage, investigators have not produced reliable information to suggest that a firearm was involved."
The woman was able put the vehicle in reverse and drove backwards, claiming the two men started chasing after her.
“When I saw them grab the weapons... time stood still, I couldn’t believe what was happening,” she says. “You never really expect it to happen to you. Honestly, it scared the crap out of me.”
She called and reported the incident to police who responded to the scene.
"I just hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” she says.
The vehicle did have a B.C. license plate and is described as a "decommissioned" ambulance. The incident was captured on dash camera footage.
This can be a scary event for any driver to witness. Road conflicts can occur for numerous reasons and this person did the right thing by staying in their vehicle, says Harnett. I wish to caution the public, however, against any speculation as to the motive behind the incident."
This investigation is still active and ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 604-463-6251.
