North Vancouver RCMP put brakes on three impaired drivers

Three times was definitely not the charm for police in North Vancouver Wednesday night (Nov. 24).

Officers put the brakes on three impaired drivers in just under four hours.

At around 8 p.m. an off-duty RCMP officer driving into North Vancouver on Highway 1 called to report a suspected impaired driver.

Officers caught up with the driver on Highway 1 near the Lloyd Avenue exit, where the man failed two blood alcohol tests on a roadside-screening device. The driver, a 60-year-old Vancouver man, was issued an immediate roadside prohibition and his vehicle, a four-door SUV, was impounded.

A few hours later, at about 11:45 p.m., near Mountain Highway and Main Street, a North Vancouver RCMP officer on patrol noticed a Chevy pickup truck parked in a gas station with its four-way flashers activated. The officer approached the vehicle and found the driver slumped over the steering wheel with a glass pipe in his hand. The officer subsequently issued a driving prohibition for being in care and control of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, and impounded the truck.

Moments later, just before midnight, a third officer on patrol near Marine Drive and West Third Street noticed a Land Rover SUV travelling at a high rate of speed and failing to maintain a steady lane position. The officer conducted a traffic stop, noticed the driver showed evidence of being impaired, and issued a demand for a breath sample. After failing two roadside tests, the driver – a 32-year-old Interior woman – was issued an immediate roadside prohibition and her vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

Sgt. Peter DeVries of the North Vancouver RCMP said if drivers are caught impaired behind the wheel, penalties can range from driving suspensions (of 24 hours to 90 days), fines of up to $4,060, and having their vehicle impounded.

Drivers who crash while impaired can also be found personally liable for damage and injuries.