Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Grossly’ impaired driver sideswipes Nanaimo RCMP cruiser

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A Nanaimo RCMP officer narrowly escaped injury on Wednesday after an impaired driver sideswiped his cruiser while he was parked roadside.

At around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28th, an officer was pulled to the side of the road writing reports on Dufferin Crescent near the Bowen Road intersection.

According to Nanaimo RCMP, he was then surprised when his left side rear view mirror suddenly broke off. The impact jarred him, and he watched as a Jeep SUV careened along the driver side of his vehicle.

Following the collision, the SUV driver did not stop and continued driving.

Luckily, the officer was not injured in the incident and continued after the suspect in the vehicle.

The officer was able to pull over the vehicle successfully, and noticed that when the male driver stepped out of the SUV, there was a very strong odor of liquor present. He was also having difficulty standing, and was needing to lean against his vehicle for support.

The 44-year-old male driver was arrested for impaired driving, then transported to the Nanaimo RCMP detachment. There, he provided breathe samples of 320, 350 and again 350 – all at least 4 times over the legal limit.

Out of an abundance of caution, officers had paramedics transport the suspect to hospital for possible alcohol poisoning, where he was treated then later released.

The driver was served a 90-day driving prohibition and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days, as well as a court appearance notice for August 3rd.

“Given his gross state of impairment, the time of day and the amount of traffic in that area, this situation could have easily turned tragic,” said Constable Gary O’Brien.

Seanna Wainman
Seanna Wainmanhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Managing Editor at Victoria Buzz. Have a story idea? I'd love to hear from you! Email me at seanna@victoriabuzz.com

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