Not a Good Week for Driving and Drinking

Police are seeking the public’s assistance to locate a stolen utility trailer. The black Nortech flat deck trailer was stolen from the Logo Tech property in the 4900 block of 49th Avenue overnight of November 8th/9th.

too old to learn
new tricks?
Buffalo Taxi was called into service last Tuesday evening when police received a call for assistance from JGN Taxi reporting one of their drivers was stopped on the shoulder of Hwy #97 by the Klahanni Trailer Park with an unruly intoxicated customer. Police attended the scene and were advised by the taxi driver that the elderly fare refused to fasten his seatbelt, attempted to light a cigarette inside the taxi, tried to assault the driver, which forced him to pull the taxi to the side of the road and stop. Police arrested the intoxicated 79-year-old man and transported him to the police office where he was lodged in a cell for several hours until he was sober.

Chatty Passenger
Police always have time for another impaired driver. Wednesday evening at 9:21 p.m. while police were travelling southbound along Hwy #97 they noted a blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck pulling up to the stop sign at Airport Drive with its four way flashers activated. Police turned around, stopped the vehicle, and spoke to the driver and passenger. They noted the distinct bouquet of liquor emanating from within the vehicle. When police asked the driver if he had been drinking, the passenger piped up that he had been drinking, however the driver said nothing. Police asked the driver to step from the vehicle, where the odour of liquor on the driver’s breath confirmed he too had been drinking. After failing two roadside breath tests, police issued the 52-year-old Chateh, AB, man with a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition from driving and impounded his vehicle for 30 days.

CAME TO WORK BUT…
Friday afternoon at 3:43 p.m. police received a phone call from the supervisor of a local company that one of their employees was at a residence in the 5500 block of 57th Avenue doing some work and it appeared he may have driven there while intoxicated. Police attended the residence where they were met by the company supervisor who turned over the company truck keys, explaining to police that he had received a call from the customer advising their employee arrived at his residence in the company truck drunk. Police approached the employee, who was standing next to his company vehicle, engaged him in a brief conversation which confirmed the 46-year-old Fort Nelson man had definitely been drinking and appeared somewhat intoxicated. Police detained the man for impaired driving and looked through the company vehicle where they located a travel mug inside the vehicle filled with a quantity of straight liquor.
Police impounded the company vehicle and transported the man to the police office where he provided two breath samples of 120 mgs each.
As a result police issued the man with a 90-day Administrative Driving Prohibition. They released him on his Promise to Appear in court on January 21st, 2013 to answer impaired driving charges.

Last week turned out to be a good week for whacking impaired drivers. Early Saturday morning around 2:17 a.m. when police observed a very slow moving Silver 2010 Dodge D350 pickup truck making it’s way along 50th Avenue North they decided to stop it. Once stopped police quickly determined why the driver was moving so slow, he was intoxicated. Police obtained two roadside breath samples from the 45 year old Calgary, AB man driving the vehicle both of which registered failures on the approved roadside screening device. As a result police issued the Calgary resident with a 90 day Immediate Roadside Prohibition from driving impounding his rental vehicle for 30 days.
If it has a motor and is self propelled, truck, car, atv, snowmobile, motorcycle, scooter or motorized skate board, it is considered a motor vehicle. This means if you drive it on a road, street, highway or the sidewalk make sure you have your drivers license handy just in case the police stop you for a roadside chat. An 18 year old Fort Nelson had this brought to his attention late Saturday afternoon when police observed two snowmobiles driving down the sidewalk along Simpson Trail. Once stopped the first snowmobile operator identified himself by producing a valid drivers license, however the second snowmobile had some difficulty doing this telling police he did not have a drivers license. After checking police confirmed the young man actually did have a drivers license, however at the current time he was prohibited from operating a motor vehicle. The young man told police he did not think a snowmobile was a motor vehicle. Police issued the 18 year old man with an Appearance Notice for a December 1 Oth court date to answer of charge of driving while prohibited under the Motor Vehicle Act.
A few hours later police were dealing with another motor vehicle related incident, in this case a 22 year old Fort Nelson man who’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle was impaired by by something other than liquor. This past Saturday evening around 9:25 p.m. police observed an older model Gray GMC Sierra pickup truck being driven in a rather erratic manner along Chalo Road. Police followed the truck for a short distance finally stopping it in front of Chalo School where they spoke to the young man driving. The first indicator to police that something was amiss here was the rather pungent aroma of freshly burned Marijuana wafting out of the open drivers window. Police said nothing and asked the young man for his drivers license and vehicle papers which with some obvious difficulty he eventually and very slowly handed over to police. It was quite apparent to police the Marijuana was having the desired effect, the young driver was in a good mood, very relaxed and everything was generally copasetic in his world, not so for police considering the circumstances. Police issued the driver with a 24 hour prohibition from driving turning the vehicle over to another family member who attended the scene to retrieve the vehicle.
Running from the police will most often guarantee yoy one thing, you will go to jail tired. Sunday evening around 9:35 p.m. while police were making their rounds they observed what appeared to be a male and female engaged in a rather heated argument at the intersection of Hwy #97 and 46th Street. When police pulled up alongside the couple the 19 year old woman asked police for some assistance in leaving the presence of the 18 year old man who appeared to have been drinking. Police advised the young woman to prevent any further problems they would provide her with a ride home. When the young man told police he wanted a ride too, police politely declined the request which did not sit well with the young man who told police he was too drunk to walk home and might fall down in a snowbank and freeze. At this point the young man intentionally walked into the path of oncoming traffic on Hwy #97. When police ordered him to get off the road he took his shoes off and began running down the highway through traffic being chased by police on foot. After a short foot pursuit and roll in the snow police were able to take the 18 year old man into to custody transporting him to the police office where he spent a few hours sobering and warming up before being taken to the hospital to have his sore foot checked out?