BC Highway Patrol officers catch 19 impaired drivers during Shambhala Festival check stop blitz
By The Nelson Daily Staff
BC Highway Patrol said in a media release that officers removed 19 drug impaired drivers from the road during a check stop blitz at the 2024 Shambhala Festival, including a drug trafficker coming from the festival.
BC Highway Patrol conducted two full days of check stops and sifted through over 30,000 visitors going to and from the festival to combat impaired driving.
The full results include:
- 199 Mandatory Alcohol Screenings;
- 39 drivers received 24-hour suspension by drugs;
- 19 drivers were evaluated and charged with impaired driving by drug;
- 144 Motor Vehicle Act charges;
- 5 seizures of possession of a controlled substance; and
- 1 seizure for possession for the purpose of trafficking.
BCHP said that officers also arrested two people on outstanding warrants for uttering threats, assault, robbery, assault causing bodily harm, and drive while prohibited.
The results of this two-day enforcement effort not only highlights the importance of having BCHP out on the roads during these events, but also demonstrated to extreme dedication and hard work members of BCHP give to keeping our communities and roadways safe,
said Sgt. Vince LeBlanc, Kootenay Highway Patrol – Nelson.
Our BC Highway Patrol officers worked tirelessly and were highly successful in our goal to remove impaired drivers from our highways.
The Shambhala Music Festival is an annual music festival located in the BC Southern Interior outside the Village of Salmo.
The electronic music festival, which attracts thousands of spectators, is held during the last week of July next to the Salmo River on a 500-acre farm in the West Kootenay mountains near Nelson.
