Three men suspected of a violent home invasion in Merritt are now in custody following a chase along the Coquihalla Highway early this morning.

The three men, described as afro-Canadian, allegedly assaulted a woman in her home in Merritt and were chased down the Coquihalla to the Othello exit after Merritt RCMP received a complaint of a "local citizen" driving erratically.

"After a brief chase, the suspect vehicle rammed an upper Fraser services police vehicle," said Const. Tracy Dunsmore in a press release issued minutes ago.

"The suspects were stopped and arrested without further incident at 10:29 a.m."

The gold-coloured minivan the men were driving was spotted leaving the scene of a violent home invasion that took place at a home on Houston Street at about 9:25 this morning.

"The men had entered the home and assaulted the lone female occupant and attempted to restrain her, but after a struggle and the family pet intervening, the men left the residence," said Dusnmore.

The victim's injuries are unknown at this time. Two of the males arrested were transported to hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the ramming of the police vehicle.

The RCMP officer in the Fraser services vehicle is said to be in good condition with minor injuries.

Two police vehicles and the suspect vehicle sustained damage.

The incident comes less than a week after Merritt RCMP announced, at a gang and drug presentation at MSS, that home invasions were on the rise in the city.