Police tested airbags for DNA in a crash in Halifax where the driver took off

When a gray car with no license plate drove into a house on Gottingen Street in Halifax last winter, the driver sped off.

It was about 8:20 p.m. on January 19 when the first two Halifax Regional Police officers arrived on the scene.

“There was a Honda Fit in contact with the foundation of the residence at that location and many people were surrounding it, advising that the person flee west on Black Street,” said detective const. Craig Smith said in his application for a search warrant in the case.

Bystander Chloe Pelzl witnessed the driver, who she described as a six-foot-tall white male, run into the road between some houses, the detective said.

“Mohamma Thahzeer saw the vehicle crash into the house,” Smith said. “A tall white man of stocky build in gray sweatpants, black hat and black jacket ran away. There were no other residents.”

‘seeming to escape’

Amber Graveline also saw the 2007 Honda Fit crash into the house on the corner of Gottingen and Black Street. She gave a similar description of the driver, adding that he was clean shaven.

He ran into Black Street, “seemingly to escape,” she told police.

And so far that is exactly what he did.

The crash damaged Geordie MacLachlan’s home, the detective said, noting that the homeowner reported “fundamental problems” caused by the impact.

A police sniffer dog found no trace of the perpetrator.

Tracked tabs

One of the first officers on the scene watched the Honda as it waited for Academy Towing to take it back to police headquarters on the south side of Göttingen.

“He secured the vehicle with police tape for examination by the forensic identification services,” Smith said.

Police checked Honda’s vehicle identification number to discover that the car’s registered owner was Justin Davies, who turns 43 next month.

“The record owner of the vehicle had sold the vehicle months earlier to a man named Garret Wile,” Smith said in his filing to obtain an injunction filed in Halifax Provincial Court.

“As no date of birth was provided for Wile, his identity cannot be confirmed at this time.”

No one with that name will be prosecuted for the crash, according to the Public Prosecution Service.

Air bags deployed

The detective confirmed that the steering wheel and curtain airbags in the Honda Fit had deployed when it hit the house.

“If they had any DNA evidence, (it) would be the DNA of the driver at the time of the accident,” Smith said.

“In addition to the airbags, the vehicle may contain other trace material suitable for forensic analysis.”

The detective regarded the accident as a failure to remain at the scene of the accident.

Hair, saliva and blood

He wanted a search warrant to search the deployed airbags, looking for evidence suitable for forensic analysis, including fingerprints, hair, saliva and blood.

“As resources are limited, I request a period of one week to enforce this order to allow members of the Halifax Regional Police Forensic Identification Section to search and process any evidence found in the vehicle,” said the detective.

During their Jan. 27 search of the Honda, police seized the driver and passenger side airbags, a Nova Scotia license plate, and a clear drinking cup. They also took a smear from the mug for DNA analysis.

Despite this, the man who slammed the Honda into the house has still not been caught.

“The driver of the vehicle fled the area on foot and has not been located,” said Const. John MacLeod, speaking on behalf of the police, said in an email this week.

“The incident is under further investigation.”