Driver arrested in Vancouver after police chase and crash near World Cup fans

Vancouver police say they arrested a prohibited driver who crashed his car while trying to flee officers, in an incident that unfolded close to World Cup fans in the downtown core on Thursday.

The incident was captured on social media videos that show a black Tesla crashed into a tree, a man lying on the ground being cuffed, and officers with weapons drawn.

Police say the vehicle had been “pinged” for having inactive insurance and being operated by a prohibited driver, and when they tried to stop the car, the driver fled through an underground parking lot then crashed as it emerged at Hornby and Robson streets.

They say the man in his 30s was taken into custody without further incident, and “numerous charges will be recommended.”

Police say the man sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital, before being released from custody on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.

The crash site is only a couple blocks from Granville Street, which has been turned into a pedestrian zone for the World Cup tournament and was teeming with fans on Thursday.

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