UPDATE: 4:32 p.m. Kelowna RCMP say a driver who sped down the pedestrian-only part of Bernard Avenue before crashing was not intending to hurt anyone. In a news release, police said they responded to a call about a hit-and-run at about 8 p.m. Just minutes later, more calls came in about a black SUV driving dangerously through several downtown streets, including Bernard Avenue, Abbott Street, Clement Avenue, St. Paul Street, and Ellis Street. When police arrived, they witnessed the driver "performing dangerous maneuvers" through multiple intersections before the vehicle entered the Meet me on Bernard pedestrian zone—an area closed to traffic during the summer season. The SUV came to a stop after colliding with a parked vehicle on Abbott Street. The driver was taken into custody at the scene. While the investigation remains ongoing, RCMP say there is currently no evidence suggesting the driver intended to harm the public. No injuries have been reported. Anyone who witnessed the incident or may have video footage—whether from a dash cam, security camera, or cellphone—is urged to contact the Kelowna RCMP non-emergency line at 250-762-3300, referencing file number 2025-49816. UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. A Kelowna resident says his vehicle was struck during the dramatic police chase through the downtown core on Wednesday night. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, was attempting to parallel park on Abbott Street near Parlour Ice Cream with his girlfriend when an SUV fleeing police clipped the front of his Mazda. “He came around the corner at a very high speed and then he hit the front side of my car and rolled off of my car,” the resident said. “His car rolled a couple times. My car got pinned up to the car beside me. We are all good.” He estimated the SUV was travelling close to 80 km/h at the time of the collision. After the crash, the suspect attempted to flee the scene on foot. “Pedestrians tried to help him from his car and then he ran away and a pedestrian then tackled him,” the witness added. Police have not yet released details about the chase. ORIGINAL: 11 a.m. A dramatic police chase through downtown Kelowna ended in a chaotic crash on Abbott Street Wednesday night, drawing a heavy police presence and leaving bystanders stunned. Witnesses say the driver of a black SUV led police on a pursuit through the downtown core before veering into the closed-off area of Bernard Avenue — restricted to vehicles during the summer months. “It was really wild to see,” said Haley Schmidt, a witness who was watching from her apartment balcony on Leon Avenue. “We were in those new apartments on Leon sitting outside. The black SUV pulled in from the highway and started to go down the road, and then we saw the police car chasing it. He must have done a whole loop around downtown and then went down Bernard — down the pedestrian-only area — and the cops were chasing him." According to Schmidt, the chase ended when the SUV collided with a white truck on Abbott Street near the entrance to City Park. “The SUV went up onto the curb, all the airbags went off, and the driver got out of the vehicle — he was stumbling, barely able to walk, and tried to run away from the police.” She said officers quickly moved in and placed the man in handcuffs, though not before a brief struggle. “He got out of the car and he was stumbling around — he was trying to run away, then he gave up and was trying to fight the cops. They put him in cuffs.” In a tense moment after the arrest, Schmidt said the driver of the white truck involved in the crash attempted to physically confront the suspect but was held back by police. “There were about 10 police cars at one point,” she added. “They had everything taped off with caution tape. We could hear the guy screaming from the cop car. They were searching that SUV for a long time. We saw two duffel bags in the trunk.” Bernard Avenue remained closed to traffic as officers conducted their investigation. Kelowna RCMP have yet to comment on the incident.