Port Alberni RCMP encountered a flurry of traffic-related incidents last night, resulting in the impoundment of three vehicles and charges against their respective drivers.
The sequence of events began when an officer on Stamp Avenue detected a vehicle traveling well above the speed limit, registering at 97 kilometers per hour in a designated 50 kilometer zone.
Subsequently, the driver received a fine for excessive speed, and in accordance with the motor vehicle act, their vehicle was impounded for 7 days following a stop conducted several blocks away.
Simultaneously, officers responded to a vehicle collision at Canadian Tire on Johnston Street. Upon arrival, they initiated a probe into potential drug-impaired driving.
The 20-year-old male driver, after performing poorly on a Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST), was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs.
PAFD responding to an MVI on Johnston Rd (#BCHwy4) near Broughton St. Please consider taking an alternate route. #portalberni #MVI
— Port Alberni Fire (@portalbernifire) November 27, 2023
Further testing, including a blood sample obtained for analysis at the RCMP lab, supported these allegations, police said in a statement.
The driver was served with a driving prohibition, and the vehicle was impounded. He will have to appear in court in 2024.
Shortly after this incident, another collision was reported in the 3100-block of 9 Avenue involving a vehicle that struck a parked car.
Upon investigation, police said officers suspected the driver to be under the influence of alcohol. An on-scene blood alcohol test confirmed the impairment, leading to the issuance of a driving prohibition under the province’s Immediate Roadside Prohibition program for the woman in her 40s.
She faces a 90-day driving ban, a 30-day vehicle impoundment, and administrative fines via ICBC.
Approximately 30 minutes subsequent to the initial call, officers were summoned to a pedestrian struck by a hit-and-run vehicle on the Redford Street extension.
Witnesses reported that the suspect vehicle, described as a smaller car followed by a white SUV, fled the scene without checking on the injured pedestrian.
The victim, attended to by paramedics, sustained minor injuries and was later discharged from hospital after receiving treatment.
“It is extremely concerning to see this behavior from so many drivers in such a short period of time,” stated Constable Richard Johns.
“Impaired driving laws are nothing new, if you have consumed liquor, cannabis or other recreational drugs do not get behind the wheel.”
Port Alberni RCMP urges anyone with information pertaining to the hit-and-run collision to contact them.
