Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
PEI RCMP were once again active with traffic enforcement over the weekend, responding to a single vehicle crash and impounding two vehicles as a result of impaired operation.
On Friday, March 22 just after 1:00 p.m. a PEI RCMP Provincial Traffic Services member stopped a vehicle with expired registration. The officer noted, in their interactions with the driver, signs of possible cannabis impairment, and the driver failed a road-side screening. This resulted in a 7-day driving suspension and the vehicle impounded for three days. Further samples were collected from the driver and this incident remains under investigation pending results from these samples.
RCMP attended the scene of a single vehicle crash in Kinkora on Saturday, March 23 at approximately 6:30 p.m. A 47-year-old man, the lone occupant of the vehicle, suffered no injuries. The RCMP officer attending the scene noted signs of impairment, and subsequently the driver blew more than 3 times the legal limit of 0.08 mg/100 ml. The driver was immediately issued a 7-day driving suspension and vehicle impounded for 3 days. This incident remains under investigation.
Again, on March 23, as a result of a 9-1-1 call reporting a possibly impaired driver, PEI RCMP stopped a vehicle in Stratford. The driver admitted to consuming alcohol and was administered a roadside test. While the result was a warning, police records confirmed the driver had 2 previous roadside suspensions within the past three years. The driver was then issued a 90-day driving suspension and their vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
“The RCMP Provincial Traffic Services team continues to do a great job getting impaired drivers off Island roads,” says Chief Superintendent Kevin Lewis, Commanding Officer PEI RCMP. “But the bigger issue is that there shouldn’t be any impaired driving to begin with. Stopping impaired driving is a priority for PEI RCMP but we need all Islanders to NEVER get behind the wheel impaired,” adds Lewis.
If you suspect an impaired driver, this is an emergency, so call 9-1-1 and provide any details you can.