RCMP High Risk Driving blitz nets impaired drivers
By Nelson Daily Staff
Members of the RCMP West Kootenay Integrated Road Safety Unit continued its month long High Risk Driving Provincial Campaign by taking a pair of impaired drivers off the road said Sergeant Chad Badry in a media release Tuesday.
Badry said one impaired driver was netted while officers were enforcing a school zone speed limit in Warfield and another on the long weekend illegally towing a broken down vehicle.
“Great work by the officers who took these impaired drivers off the road,” said Badry, with the RCMP West Kootenay Traffic Services. “Either of these incidents could have had disastrous effects.”
The 38-year-old male from Trail was caught while officers were conducting speed enforcement in a school zone in Warfield at 3:30 pm. The driver will appear in court in Rossland in August.
Police said during the Victoria Day weekend, RCMP traffic officer caught an impaired driver on Highway 3 near Wilgress Lake, located west of Grand Forks.
Police said the officer located a broken down vehicle and provided a ride to the sober driver into town.
Police said during his return later in the day, the officer noticed the broken down vehicle now being towed illegally by another pickup truck with the original driver in the towed vehicle.
A 47-year-old male driver from Christina Lake who was doing the towing, failed a roadside screening device for alcohol and was issued a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition. His vehicle was impounded for 30 days. Police said a proper tow truck took care of both vehicles.
“Even though we only have a few days left in this High Risk Driving Campaign, these are the types of violations that we are always giving extra attention to,” Badry explained.
“With summer on the horizon and good road conditions finally here, we want people to be safe by slowing down, leaving the phone alone, driving sober, wearing a seatbelt, and obeying all the rules of the road.”
So far this month, police have issued 116 violation tickets for high risk driving offences including speed, cell phone use, and impaired driving. The highest speed was more than 60 kilometers over the speed limit.
