Police remove window from Tesla after impaired driver refuses to exit vehicle, locks himself in car: RCMP

MISSION – Mounties in Mission say a 51-year-old driver has been arrested after he refused to exit his vehicle upon suspicion that he was impaired, forcing police to take the extraordinary step of removing the window to his Tesla.

Mission RCMP say the incident happened just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1 (Canada Day). A Mission RCMP officer was on patrol when he observed a Tesla stopped partially in the travel lane on London Avenue, just before the on-ramp to Highway 11.

Police say the officer approached the car and spoke with the driver, who was allegedly slow to respond, had an odour of liquor on his breath, and watery eyes. The officer formed suspicion that the driver was impaired by liquor, and issued a roadside breath demand to him. The driver then rolled up his window, locked the doors, and refused to exit the vehicle.

Following an extended period of trying to convince the driver to get out of the vehicle, Mission RCMP advised the man that he was under arrest for obstructing a peace officer. Police dismantled and removed the driver’s window, unlocked the doors, and removed the driver from the vehicle, despite his efforts to bring the steering wheel with him.

The 51-year-old subsequently failed breath tests on two different approved screening devices and was issued a 90-day driving prohibition and a 30-day impound. He will also need to order a new window for his Tesla.