'Very dangerous. Extremely dangerous.'
Published Thursday October 15th, 2009
Crash: Police look for evidence of contraband following spectacular collision in north end
SAINT JOHN - Saint John police called in the canine unit Wednesday after a high-speed crash flipped a van on its side and uprooted a street light.
No one was seriously hurt in the crash at about 12:20 p.m. at Main and Metcalf streets in the city's north end.
A speeding red pickup truck was flying west on Main Street when it struck a minivan, which was heading north on Simonds Street, said Const. Trevor Jones at the scene.
Firefighters cut the roof from the van to rescue the female driver and a teenage male passenger, said Acting Staff Sgt. Don Cooper.
Both people were conscious and could walk but were taken to hospital with minor injuries, he said.
The driver of the red pickup was also taken to hospital and later released. He was then taken into custody and questioned by detectives, Cooper said. Charges were pending late Wednesday.
"We believe an item may have been dumped next to the airmen's wing," said Jones, referring to the building across from the Lord Beaverbrook Arena known as the Main Brace Naval Vets Centre.
"We have evidence something may have been stashed or dumped there after the crash," he said. "It could have been drugs, a weapon or anything."
Both Jones and Cooper said the truck driver and passenger, who are in their late teens, are known to police, but they wouldn't explain how.
"We've had dealings with them before," Jones said.
A police dog barked as it sniffed the long grass next to the Main Brace Wednesday afternoon.
Police officers held on to a bag filled with an unknown substance as they guided the dog.
A tow truck lifted the pickup from the street, with the rear driver's side dented and smashed-in.
Saint John Energy crews lifted the bent light pole onto a truck and swept up debris on the street.
The tailgate of the truck and shards of glass and light reflectors lay across the pavement.
The westbound lanes of Main Street were closed for nearly three hours Wednesday afternoon as police searched for clues.
Jones said it wasn't clear if the pickup truck had run a red light.
"At the speed we believe the truck may have been travelling, whether the light was red or green, he probably wouldn't have been able to stop anyhow," Jones said. "Very dangerous. Extremely dangerous."
Cooper said the truck was not stolen and there was no pursuit before the crash. He also said alcohol wasn't believed to be a factor.
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He was taken into custody "Billy Joel" but unfortunately, thanks to all the "rights" in Canada, you cannot hold someone in custody because of a motor vehicle infraction, don't blame the police. Blame the judges, defense lawyers and Amnesty International! Next time you are caught speeding, running a red light or getting into an accident, do you think you should be arrested and held in jail? Probably not, but I can assure you there are just as many people that comment in these stories that would condemn the police if they held him in jail for driving fast!
Instead, Canadians deserve CREDIT for creating a country which respects the centuries-old Common Law of England and the legislation that has been enacted in conformity with it.
The alternative would be a police state of some sort, where "nuisances" such as judges, defence lawyers, and human rights watchdogs could be swept out of the way - and the "rights" that citizens enjoy today could be denied.
I hope you are not a Saint John policeman. If you are, I think you could benefit from courses in legal theory and the Canadian justice system.
In all western democracies, freedom is placed on a pedestal. Law and order are one step down. This is because it is better to be too easy on criminals than too hard on innocent people.
Criminals are not running free, as you state. There is more accountability than ever before, thanks to modern technology and policing methods. Most Canadians do not have enough contact with the justice system to be personally frustrated by it.
There is always a small minority that will chose a life of crime, even if draconian laws are in effect. That problem can't be corrected with tougher laws.
The statements in your previous post about judges, defence lawyers, and Amnesty International being to "blame" for somehow ruining the system is a troubling accusation. I hope you didn't mean it.