media handout
Incident Date

Police are requesting public assistance in identifying the motorist who sped away from an attempted traffic stop and dangerously drove through a construction zone Tuesday afternoon. Members of the Thunder Bay Police Services Traffic Unit were conducting enforcement on Dawson Road just after 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, during a joint project with members of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. At that time, officers attempted to stop a motorist in a Ford F150 pickup truck who was travelling 20 km/h above the posted maximum speed limit while passing a police cruiser on an active traffic stop. The motorist refused to stop for police and drove away at a high rate of speed westbound on Dawson Road. The motorist entered a construction zone, drove through a line of pylons, and continued northbound on Hazelwood Drive. To preserve public safety, officers discontinued their attempted traffic stop. As part of their ongoing investigation, officers are reviewing video footage. This includes images captured by body-worn and in-car police cameras. Images of the motorist are now being distributed to the media and public in hopes that witnesses will come forward to help identify the suspected driver. If you have any information that could assist investigators, please call police at (807) 684-1200. You can submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.p3tips.com. Police would also like to strongly encourage the driver to contact their lawyer and make arrangements to turn themselves in.  

Location
Thunder Bay