Police stops five drivers for impaired driving violations over the weekend
Over the weekend RCMP Traffic Services West stopped five drivers — a 72-year-old man, a 47-year-old man, a 63-year-old man, a 21-year-old man, and a 26-year-old man — for impaired driving violations. All vehicles were seized and impounded, and all five drivers received a driver’s licence suspension.
On Friday, July 4, at approximately 9:45 p.m., a traffic stop was conducted on a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle on Main Street in Stephenville Crossing. The driver, a 72-year-old man, who held a suspended driver’s licence and was on probation, showed signs of alcohol impairment and failed a roadside breath test. He was arrested for impaired driving and taken to the Bay St. George RCMP detachment where he provided further samples above the legal limit. He was released from custody to appear in court at a later date to face charges of impaired driving, breach of probation, and driving while suspended.
The following day, July 5, around 5:45 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a vehicle speeding on the Main Road in St David’s. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver, a 47-year-old man, showed signs of alcohol impairment and provided a roadside breath sample that was above Provincial legislation but below criminal threshold. He was issued summary offence tickets for driving while suspended, speeding, and operating without insurance.
Approximately an hour later, a traffic stop was conducted on an ATV in Loch Leven. The driver, a 63-year-old man, showed signs of intoxication and was arrested for impaired driving. He refused to provide breath samples and was released from custody to appear in court at a later date for refusing to provide a breath sample and driving while suspended.
Later in the evening, at approximately 11:15 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle speeding near North Branch on the Trans Canada Highway, driving 162 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. The driver, a 21-year-old man failed a roadside breath sample and was arrested for impaired driving and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. He was transported to the Bay St. George detachment where he provided breath samples 1.5 times the legal limit. He was released from custody to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired driving and dangerous operation. He was issued a summary offence ticket for speeding.
On Sunday, July 6, around 2:30 p.m., Traffic Services West received multiple reports of a vehicle driving erratically on the Trans Canada Highway near Hampden Junction. Police located the vehicle and the driver, a 26-year-old man, showed signs of intoxication. He was arrested for impaired driving and transported to the Deer Lake RCMP detachment where he provided breath samples over 1.5 times the legal limit. He was released from custody to appear in court at a later date.