A recent blitz by the RCMP resulted in a number of impaired drivers being taken off the road. In Oliver, there was one 90-day immediate roadside prohibition (IRP), one three-day IRP, and one driving while prohibited charge.
Recently, members of South Okanagan Traffic Services, with the assistance of citizens, took many impaired drivers off of South Okanagan roads.
This included the following incidents and charges.
Penticton – One Criminal Code impaired driving charge and one refuse to provide breath sample charge.
Okanagan Falls – Two Criminal Code impaired driving charges; one refuse to provide breath sample charge; one drive while over 80 mg (alcohol) charge; one possession of cocaine charge; and one 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP).
Oliver – One 90-day IRP; one three-day IRP; and one drive while prohibited charge.
Osoyoos – One 90-day administrative driving prohibition (alcohol); one drive while prohibited charge; one 90-day IRP; two three-day IRPs; and one 24-hour driving prohibition.
Cawston – One Criminal Code impaired driving charge; and one Criminal Code drive while over 80 mg charge.
Princeton – One 90-day IRP.
Sergeant Harold Hallett said one of the impaired drivers collided with a parked vehicle and a fence on their way to a liquor store to purchase alcohol.
“This 50-year-old female impaired driver was arrested leaving that Penticton liquor store in their pyjamas.”
Another of the impaired drivers was reported by a citizen as an erratic driver driving in the oncoming lane. This 56-year-old female driver was located seated behind the steering wheel in a parked idling vehicle in Okanagan Falls.
Yet another impaired driver was observed swerving on Highway 97 in Okanagan Falls and travelling in the oncoming lane towards Oliver at a high rate of speed. Hallett said this 28-year-old driver was almost three times the legal limit for alcohol and was found to be in possession of cocaine.
Another impaired 50-year-old male driver in Cawston was also found to be an unlicenced driver.
“South Okanagan Traffic Services would like to thank the citizens that reported some of these impaired drivers,” Hallett said.
Fortunately no one died on South Okanagan roads that weekend.
