A 25-year-old Qualicum Beach man has been arrested after reports of a driver pointing a firearm at someone while stopped at an intersection in Parksville, and a driver using bear spray on another person.
Both incidents involved a black Honda Civic and were reported to Oceanside RCMP on Aug. 24 around 5 p.m.
Later that evening, a motorcycle officer with B.C. Highway Patrol was conducting speed enforcement on Highway 19 near a Nanoose Bay rest stop when he saw a small black car speeding and measured its speed at 128 km/h in a 90 km/h zone.
The officer pursued the vehicle, which made no attempt to slow down. He lost sight of the car before coming across a collision involving the same black car.
Despite extensive damage to the vehicle, the driver, who was the lone occupant of the car, was found to have only minor injuries once taken to hospital.
The officer determined the identity of the driver and linked the car’s licence plate to the two earlier reports involving a black Honda Civic.
The driver was arrested, and officers found evidence of the two weapons and a partially consumed bottle of liquor in a search of the car.
Clayton Solberg has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was also issued a speeding ticket and given a 90-day driving prohibition for failing a roadside breath test.
Cpl. Michelle LeBrun, spokesperson for B.C. Highway Patrol in Parksville, said the incident is an example of how highway patrol works with local detachments.
“We are happy to have been of assistance to help Oceanside RCMP further its investigation into the assault allegations while also holding the impaired driver accountable,” LeBrun said in press release.
