Late night vehicle collision in Oak Bay allegedly caused by impaired driving

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a late-night vehicle collision in Oak Bay on Wednesday night.

At approximately 11:20 p.m. on May 15th, a crash involving a single vehicle occurred just north of Cedar Hill Cross Road and Cadboro Bay Road.

After colliding with a hydro pole and a retaining wall, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene and officers were not able to locate him.

According to Oak Bay Police, a passenger in the vehicle remained on scene. This passenger was also the registered owner of the vehicle, and was not injured in the collision. They were issued a ticket for driving with undue care and attention.

At this time, it’s unknown whether or not the driver sustained any injuries, and police believe that the incident occurred due to drinking and driving.

Another impaired driving incident

In a second incident, officers were conducting traffic control due to the crash, when one of them stopped a random driver who was passing through the crash scene. This stop ultimately led to that separate driver being charged with refusal to provide a breath sample.

Following this, the driver’s vehicle was towed and they were issued a 90-day driving prohibition.

“To think that while attending an impaired driving collision, one of our officers caught an unrelated impaired driver is incredibly disappointing.” said Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties.

There was considerable damage done to the retaining wall, and the hydro pole had to be immediately replaced after the incident.