BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) successfully intercepted an impaired driver earlier this month after multiple callers reported him driving recklessly.
On June 2nd, at around 6 p.m., police said they began receiving multiple reports from concerned motorists of the driver, with suspicions of impairment.
Officers conducting speed enforcement on Highway 1 near Wellswood Road in the Malahat area were asked by dispatch to be on the lookout for a grey Honda Civic being driven dangerously.
Witnesses told police the driver was passing vehicles on the highway shoulder, running red lights, and traveling at excessive speeds.
As the officers monitored the highway, they spotted the speeding Civic hurtling towards them—clocking the vehicle travelling at a speed of 152 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
BCHP officers were stop the Honda Civic while fellow motorists voluntarily stopped to provide evidence of the dangerous driving they had witnessed.
Upon identification, the driver was revealed to be a 19-year-old man from Nanaimo, lacking a valid driver’s license.
A subsequent roadside investigation determined that the young man was impaired by alcohol.
Consequently, he was immediately prohibited from driving for 90 days under the BC Motor Vehicle Act, while his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
Additionally, the driver received multiple violation tickets, and a High-Risk Driving Report has been submitted to RoadSafetyBC for further consideration of penalties.
“We greatly appreciate those individuals who called 911 to report this driver, those who stopped to provide evidence, and our 911 dispatchers. As such we were able to work in unison to bring this incident to a quick conclusion. It’s an example of how we’re making our highways safer together,” said Staff Sergeant Adam Tallboy, Acting officer in charge of BCHP Vancouver Island.
