An alleged drunk driver made a splash after they drove off a boat launch in Nanaimo early Thursday evening.
RCMP say the incident took place just before 6 p.m. on November 5 when a vehicle was driven off the Brechin boat ramp, located next to the BC Ferries Departure Bay terminal.
Emergency crews including police, fire and paramedics responded. Witnesses told police the vehicle appeared to be accelerating prior to landing in the water.
The area in which the vehicle landed was estimated to be six feet deep. Two bystanders managed to remove the female driver from the vehicle before it sunk.
She was uninjured and was taken to one of the bystanders’ vehicles to warm up.
Investigators spoke with the driver, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. They asked her to supply a breath sample under the Criminal Code and she refused.
Officers charged the driver under the Motor Vehicle Act, leading to a 90-day driving prohibition and a 30-day impoundment of the vehicle.
A local tow company removed the vehicle from the water, and a friend arrived on scene to escort the driver to her residence.
