A 30-year-old man was arrested after crashing his vehicle into the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Thursday night. The incident occurred during a Cirque du Soleil performance, prompting a swift response from local authorities.
According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), the driver struck the front entrance of the arena located in East Vancouver's Hastings Park just after 8 p.m. Arena security quickly detained the suspect until police arrived.
VPD Sgt. Steve Addison addressed the media outside the venue, stating that the incident does not appear to be an act of terrorism. "We do believe that this person was in the midst of some sort of mental health break or episode when this happened," Addison said. He emphasized that there were no reported injuries, which he described as a "miracle" given the large crowd present.
Emergency services received a call at 8:02 p.m. regarding the single-vehicle collision. Three units responded to the scene, and paramedics transported one patient. Photographs shared on social media depicted a dark-colored sedan with significant front-end damage at the entrance of the arena.
Addison noted that the investigation is still in its early stages but reassured the public that this incident is not connected to the tragic Lapu Lapu Day attack that occurred in April, which resulted in 11 fatalities. He acknowledged the heightened anxiety in the community following that event, stating, "It's definitely going to bring back those emotions and that level of anxiety that our entire community has been experiencing for over a month now."
The suspect, a resident of Vancouver, was taken into custody under the Mental Health Act. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.