A Canadian man has learned that if driving erratically in a clown suit is not enough to signal intoxication, then crashing into a police car certainly is.

A police officer in suburban West Vancouver was searching for suspects involved in a reported fight when he spotted a man.

The man was later found to be wearing a brightly colored clown costume, driving at him on the wrong side of the road.

The officer stopped his own car and turned on its emergency lights to warn the other driver, who nonetheless crashed head-on into the cruiser at 20-30 km/h.

There were no injuries.

A 29-year-old man is facing charges including impaired driving.

He "will have some explaining to do in court," police said in a statement.