Driver slams into police vehicles and flips car before siege

A Canadian motorist in a stolen car has crashed into two police vehicles and flipped his car in an attempt to flee.

The driver was stopped at an impaired driving checkpoint on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia early Saturday morning, CTV reports.

Despite the driver's attempts to avoid being pulled over, police managed to box him in with their cars. But that was only the start of the drama.

The suspect refused to comply with police requests and officers smashed in the driver's side window as he tried to restart the car.

With the man bent on making a brazen escape, one of the cops pepper sprayed him.

A video of the encounter shows the motorist then drive straight into the squad car ahead of him and then slam backwards into the police vehicle boxing him in from behind.

A few prangs later and the driver creates enough room to squeeze out before gunning the vehicle down the road.

Police found the car a short time later upside down in a ditch.

When they attempted to arrest the man he armed himself with an axe and threatened to set the car on fire.

A firefighter eventually talked the driver into handing over the axe but he refused help from first responders and police had to storm the vehicle and apprehend him under the mental health legislation.

An investigation is ongoing with police expecting to lay charges.