Suspected drunk driver crashes into North Van office building

A suspected drunk driver caused extensive damage when she drove her SUV into an office building in North Vancouver, Tuesday afternoon.

North Vancouver RCMP got a call around 2:30 p.m. saying a woman in an Infiniti SUV had driven into a building in the Capilano Business Park, the complex on the 900 block of West 1st Street.

The driver subsequently panicked, reversed at high speed, hit a parked car and flipped her own vehicle on its side, said Const. Mansoor Sahak, North Vancouver  RCMP spokesperson.

Luckily nobody was injured.

When officers arrived and spoke to the driver, they noted signs of possible impairment, said Sahak. The woman was asked to blow into a roadside screening device but “failed to provide a sample,” said Sahak.

Police are recommending charges of failing or refusing to provide a breath sample against the driver, a North Vancouver woman in her 40s.

The penalties for failing or refusing to provide breath sample are the same or higher than those for failing a roadside breath test. The woman was also handed an immediate 90-day driving suspension.

Sahak said as a result of the crash, building managers were advised to consult engineers to assess the damage to the building’s structural integrity.

“In the case of this incident, we are just so glad that none of the patrons inside the business were injured.” said Sahak.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported that city engineers were called out to assess the damage. This was not the case.

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