Police in Yellowknife say they have laid charges over three confirmed impaired driving incidents – and are investigating a fourth possible case – all taking place within 24 hours.
The four were reported to police on Saturday, January 23, RCMP said in a Wednesday news release. So far, three people are facing a total of seven criminal charges.
“Unfortunately, operating a motor vehicle while impaired continues to be a regularly occurring crime in our city,” said the Yellowknife detachment’s officer in charge, Inspector Dyson Smith.
The first call, which is still being investigated, came in at 12:30am on Saturday according to police. Little more is known about what took place.
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An hour later, at 1:30am, RCMP separately charged a 45-year-old man with operating a vehicle while impaired and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level above 80 mg per 100 mL.
At 10:50am, police were called to the city’s Shell gas station. Photos from the scene show what appears to have been a collision involving a vehicle hitting the station’s gas pumps.
RCMP linked that incident to a collision the evening before and said they duly located a 20-year-old female driver. She faces criminal charges of operating a vehicle while impaired, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to stop after an accident.
The woman also faces charges under the Motor Vehicle Act of operating a vehicle without a valid registration, operating a vehicle without a valid driving licence, and operating a vehicle without a valid certificate of financial responsibility – totalling $2,530 in fees.
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A fourth individual, a 38-year-old man who had consumed alcohol before driving, was identified during a traffic stop at 2:15pm and brought to the detachment.
He faces charges of operating a vehicle while impaired and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level above 80 mg per 100 mL.
“We are urging people to reconsider getting behind the wheel. Impaired driving is avoidable, simply choose another way to get home safely,” Smith was quoted as saying.
“Your loved ones will thank you for it.”
