Two drivers charged with impaired after pickup truck and ATV collide in Gander
Two drivers had their vehicles impounded after a collision in Gander during the early evening hours of Sept. 14, when police determined that both were operating under the influence of alcohol.
Just before 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Gander RCMP received a 9-1-1 report of a collision between an ATV and a pickup truck on Joe Batts Pond Road in Gander. Police attended the scene and located the pickup truck in the ditch. The operator of the ATV involved in the collision had fled the scene along a trailway towards Gander.
The truck operator, a 54-year-old man, was not injured in the crash. He remained at the scene and showed signs of alcohol impairment. A roadside breath test was conducted, and he provided a breath sample that was above the provincial limit but below the criminal threshold for impaired driving. His vehicle was seized by police, and he was issued a seven-day license suspension under the provincial Highway Traffic Act.
A Gander RCMP officer on patrol later spotted the heavily damaged off-road vehicle in the area of Magee Road and attempted a traffic stop. The operator appeared to be experiencing mechanical issues, and the officer attempted to approach the machine on foot. The operator of the ATV then sped away, spraying the officer with rocks and debris.
As a result of their investigation, police located the ATV and its operator at a residence in Gander. The operator, a 56-year-old man, also showed signs of alcohol impairment. He was arrested and provided breath samples at the detachment in excess of the legal limit.
The 56-year-old man was later released from police custody and is set to appear in Gander Provincial Court on December 16, 2025, to face multiple criminal charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, and impaired operation.
He was also issued summary offence tickets under the Off-Road Vehicle Act for failing to remain at the scene of an accident, operating an off-road vehicle on highway without a driver’s licence and operating an ATV without a helmet.
If you suspect an individual is operating any type of vehicle while impaired, please contact your local police, or 9-1-1, to make a report.
Related Articles
