‘It was like a nightmare’: Police receiving reports of clowns jumping in front of vehicles

CTV Toronto: Clowns threaten schools A group of clowns threatened schools in the TCDSB on social media. Janice Golding reports.

Police have received several reports of people dressed as clowns jumping in front of cars in Cape Breton.

Resident Michelle Doubleday says her first-hand experience wasn’t funny – it was frightening and dangerous.

"I was driving home from work and I saw a figure walk into the middle of the road," she said. “Once I stopped, he started running towards my car. I started backing up, (but) he kept going faster and faster."

"It was like a nightmare coming true right in front of me."

Doubleday says it happened on West Avenue in Glace Bay.

One woman tells CTV News that on the same night, she turned down a side street to avoid a person wearing a mask. But when she rounded the corner, she says as many as five other masked characters were in the middle of the road waiting for her.

A similar incident has been reported in Sydney.

"I could have hit somebody,” said Doubleday. “I could have had my kids in the car. I couldn't see where I was going when I was backing up."

Doubleday says to make things worse, she already has a fear of clowns.

"It's dangerous,” she said “You don't want people going off the road just because you think it's a prank."

Cape Breton Regional Police confirm they have received three complaints of clowns this week, but no arrests have been made.

Police say charges are possible in cases like these.

"A summary offence ticket that may be issued under the Motor Vehicle Act for something like this would be a pedestrian moving into the path of a vehicle when it's impractical for the vehicle to stop,” said Shannon Kerr, spokesperson for Cape Breton Regional Police. “A first offence of that SOT ticket would be approximately $410."

Police point out it could be dangerous for both the drivers and the person in costume.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.