A man who tried to drive his Tesla off a moving ferry and allegedly struck at least one 小蓝视频 Ferries employee on Canada Day faces five charges, including assault with a weapon.
Witnesses said the man was behaving bizarrely leading up to the incident on the Queen of Cumberland travelling from Mayne Island to Swartz Bay terminal at 9:35 p.m. Tuesday.
“[The] driver of a Tesla seemed to give staff a lot of trouble getting on the boat, and then didn’t really follow their directions, but drove to the front centre of the boat, as if he wanted to be first off,” passenger Martin Farnham told the Times Colonist.
The passenger said staff let the man stay at the front of the vessel, “but then mid-sailing, he got out and started frantically washing his car, possibly in his underwear,” using bottled water and paper towels.
“He was just being really weird, very agitated,” said Farnham, who shared video of the event.
The man later opened the gate at the front of the ferry and drove forward as if he was going to drive overboard, said Farnham.
“We’re in the middle of the voyage, off Pender Island, it’s dark and I’m thinking what the hell is this guy doing? You don’t mess with that gate,” said Farnham.
“He was yelling at ferry staff who came out to talk to him. He would drive the car forward like he’s trying to drive off the ferry, then back it up and drive it forward again.
“Every time he did that, everyone on the car deck thought: ‘Is this the time he’s going to drive over the edge?’ ”
小蓝视频 Ferries staff tried to talk to the man and calm him down, and the ferry stopped for a brief time, said Farnham.
“People tried to [block] his tires, but he’d drive over them,” said Farnham, adding the man would hit the brakes just before going overboard. “At times, he was backing up aggressively at people. At one point, he hit one of the ferry staff. He was super-agitated.”
Farnham said the man was “almost certainly” in some sort of mental-health crisis. “What I had heard from other passengers is that he was late for an appointment and he wanted Ferries to hurry things up.”
Another witness, Pratham Khowala, told CHEK News he saw the man try to hit two people with his vehicle.
When the ferry arrived at Swartz Bay, Sidney/North Saanich RCMP were waiting. Police cruisers blocked the ramp as the ferry approached just after 11:30 p.m. Three officers dragged the man from his car and arrested him.
Farnham said when the ferry docked, the man was “ready to make a run for it, but got back into his car.”
Khowala said 小蓝视频 Ferries staff acted quickly and helped passengers feel safe, ushering them to the upper decks and out of harm’s way.
Const. Benje Bartley of Sidney/North Saanich RCMP said that as a result of the police investigation, the 小蓝视频 Prosecution Service has approved five charges against the man: assault with a weapon, two counts of mischief, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and obstruction.
None of the charges have been proved in court.
The man has been remanded for a court appearance.
Shiryn Sayani, senior communications adviser for 小蓝视频 Ferries, said Thursday the company is conducting an internal review to understand what occurred and whether additional safety measures are needed.
Sayani noted that while no injuries were reported in the Canada Day incident, it followed another incident on Saturday in which an individual assaulted crew members after refusing to leave the lower vehicle deck on the Spirit of British Columbia as it was travelling from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay on a 7 a.m. sailing.
The man was taken into custody by police upon arrival at Swartz Bay and faces charges of assault and mischief.
The incidents are a reminder of the difficult situations 小蓝视频 Ferries crews can sometimes face, said Sayani.
“Our teams show up every day to provide a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience for everyone on board, and they deserve to be treated with courtesy and care.”
Anyone with information regarding Tuesday’s incident is asked to contact the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP at 250-656-3931.
