Man suspected of impaired driving held when vehicle crashes through B.C. restaurant

NANAIMO — A man has been detained by police after the vehicle he was driving crashed through the front of a restaurant on Vancouver Island.

Mounties say they were called about a report of a vehicle that had smashed into a sushi restaurant Monday evening in downtown Nanaimo.

Police, firefighters and paramedics all responded and found the restaurant had suffered extensive damage.

Several patrons had minor injuries, while police say others at the restaurant were left shaken.

Police say a man in his 40s was driving the vehicle, and officers detained him on suspicion of impaired driving after observing the man during their investigation.

The suspect was also was taken to hospital for injuries he suffered in the crash, and police say no charges have yet been laid.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2026