Over the weekend, RCMP officers across the NWT have responded to approximately 364 calls for service.
On October 13th at 11:59 pm, the Inuvik RCMP pulled over a vehicle that had failed to stop at a stop sign and was seen to be driving erratically. The 17-year-old driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was arrested for impaired driving.
The driver provided breath samples at the detachment and was found to have a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit. The 17-year-old faces a number of charges under the Criminal Code and the Motor Vehicle Act for this incident.
On October 14th, at 1:53 pm, the Fort Good Hope RCMP received a complaint about an impaired driver on a snowmobile. Officers attended the area and observed a man driving a snowmobile at a high rate of speed. The man was stopped and found to be under the influence of alcohol before being arrested for impaired driving.
Breath sample were taken at the Fort Good Hope RMCP detachment and the results indicated that the man’s blood alcohol content was over three times the legal limit. The 33-year-old man from Fort Good Hope is facing charges of impaired driving and impaired driving over the legal limit.
On October 15th, at 10:43 am, the Fort Providence RCMP were on patrol when they came across a vehicle that was driving 20km/h below the speed limit. The vehicle was stopped and it was determined that the driver, a 32-year-old woman from Fort Providence, was prohibited from driving Canada-wide as a result of having been previously convicted of impaired driving. The woman was issued a court date and criminal charges of driving while disqualified are pending.
On October 15th, at 3:44 pm., the Yellowknife RCMP received a call reporting that there had been a single vehicle rollover on the highway near the golf course. The caller reported that the diver had fled form the scene and run into the bushes in the area. RCMP officers attended and found a passenger still in the vehicle. The passenger suffered injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
A police dog handler and police dog attended the scene and tracked the driver into the bush. The driver was located some distance from the collision scene and was taken into custody. The cause of the collision is still under investigation but alcohol is suspected to be a factor. Charges are pending.
Additionally, the Northwest Territories RCMP laid impaired riving charges against three additional people over the weekend and an additional 4 people during the week of October 9th to 13th. Impaired driving continues to be an issue in the Northwest Territories and presents a considerable risk to other users of the roadways.
All drivers are strongly encouraged to avail themselves of alternatives to driving while under the influence of alcohol. The consequences for driving while impaired range from fines and the loss of your driver’s licence to serious injury and death. Officers throughout the territory will be out on roadways to ensure that drivers are sober and properly licenced.
