Vancouver Man Crashes Into Pacific Coliseum During Cirque du Soleil Show; Arrested Under Mental Health Act

A 30-year-old man has been arrested after crashing a vehicle into the entrance of Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum during a live Cirque du Soleil performance Thursday evening.

The Vancouver Police Department says the incident happened just after 8 p.m. at the East Vancouver venue, located in Hastings Park. Security personnel quickly detained the driver, and responding officers took him into custody.

Police say the man — a Vancouver resident — was apprehended under the Mental Health Act. While the investigation is ongoing, authorities do not believe the incident was terrorism-related.

“At this point, it appears the driver was experiencing some form of mental health psychosis,” said VPD Sgt. Steve Addison during a press briefing at the scene.

Miraculously, no injuries were reported.

"There were lots of people here, thousands of people inside and outside of the venue," Addison said. "We’re relieved. It’s a miracle that nobody was killed."

B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed it received a call at 8:02 p.m. for a single-vehicle collision. Three units were dispatched, and one person was transported from the scene by paramedics.

The Pacific Coliseum was hosting Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” show at the time. The front entrance of the venue sustained visible damage.