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Grand Forks, B.C.
2024-10-01 10:49 PDT
File # Grand Forks RCMP 2024: 2782; 2818; 2821; 2884
Over the past week, the Grand Forks RCMP have been kept busy with investigating multiple impaired driving offences.
The first was on September 24th at 11:20 AM where a resident in the area of 78th Avenue near 23rd Street reported a suspicious vehicle where two females appeared to be doing drugs inside. An officer attended and the person sitting in the drivers seat, a 52-year-old woman from Greenwood, BC was issued a 24 hour driving prohibition and had her vehicle towed. Unfortunately, a lesson was not learned, and this same person was found once again sitting in her vehicle, in the drivers seat on September 30th at 9:40 PM at the Boundary Regional Hospital. Evidence of recent drug consumption was discovered, and again, a 24 hour driving prohibition was given and her vehicle towed away.
On September 26th, police investigated two separate impaired driving matters. The first was at 3:35 PM where a concerned citizen reported an erratic driver, weaving all over the road and crossing the center line. An officer located the vehicle near 75th Avenue and 2nd Street in Grand Forks. The driver, a 40-year-old man from Kelowna was suspected to be under the influence of drugs. A second officer, trained in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, was brought in and confirmed the suspicion. The driver was then transported to local hospital where samples of his blood were collected to further the investigation.
Later that same date, at 11:45 PM, police responded to an accident on Highway 3 at Highway 395 where a car struck a utility pole. The driver, a 67-year-old man from Christina Lake showed symptoms of alcohol impairment. Due to some minor injuries sustained, the officer elected to proceed by way of a Blood Demand where samples of his blood were taken and will be sent to Forensic Labs for testing.
"It still amazes me that people will risk so much by driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs," states Grand Forks Detachment Commander Sergeant Darryl Peppler. "You risk facing criminal charges and losing your drivers license that can impact so much, from your employment to taking care of your family, not to mention hurting or killing yourself or an innocent bystander."
These series of investigations follow news that a local officer, Constable Matthew Hemelspeck has received, for the second year in a row, the Alexa Team Award. This award recognizes Police Officers who remove a high amount of impaired drivers from British Columbia's roadways.
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Email: darryl.peppler@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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