Man dies after fleeing Vancouver police in Polaris Slingshot, head-on crash downtown

A man fled Vancouver police near Canada Place on Friday and died after his three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot collided head-on with an SUV. The IIO has taken over the investigation.

Fatal crash in downtown Vancouver after police pursuit in rented Slingshot

A man is dead after fleeing Vancouver police in a three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot and crashing head-on into a white Honda SUV in downtown Vancouver on Friday night, Vancouver Sun Crime reports.

Officers near Canada Place attempted to approach the man in the vehicle, but he drove off. Less than a block later, the open-top Slingshot collided with the SUV, leaving the tri-wheeled vehicle on its side. The man sustained critical injuries and was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The vehicle carried the branding of Vancity Slingshot, a Richmond-based rental company. Owner and founder Lance Thomas-James confirmed the Slingshot belonged to his fleet, but stated his company had not rented it out on that occasion.

The Vancouver Police Department declined to comment after the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) assumed oversight of the case. "The nature of and initial reason for the interaction between the man and police is part of the IIO investigation, but we are not releasing further information at this early juncture," the IIO said in a statement on Saturday.

The Polaris Slingshot is a three-wheeled vehicle with two wheels at the front and one at the rear. It features an open top and a two-litre engine producing 180 horsepower — a design described as a hybrid between a motorcycle and a sports car.

The incident occurred near Jack Poole Plaza, a prominent landmark along Vancouver's waterfront.

Source: Vancouver Sun Crime