PICK SIX: Mountie nabs a half dozen dangerous drivers in one weekend, four for impaired

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One traffic cop took six vehicles off the road for alcohol-involved offences during his weekend shift, highlighting the effectiveness of mandatory alcohol screening, Manitoba RCMP said.

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“As we see from this past weekend, it helps us to remove these dangerous drivers from the road. When drivers are impaired, they make bad decisions, and those decisions can have deadly consequences. The excellent work done by this officer over the weekend very well could have saved lives,” Insp. Michael Gagliardi, who heads the provincial police traffic services department.

He noted it’s not a typical weekend for its officers, with six vehicles impounded, three drivers given an immediate roadside prohibition for failing a sobriety test, two more registering warnings, and another driver with a legal limit of alcohol in his system removed from the road for driving disqualified over the four days.

The Manitoba RCMP Eastman Traffic Services constable began the weekend shift out of the East St. Paul RCMP detachment on Sept. 6, stopping a speeding vehicle on Wenzel Street. A 64-year-old man blew two warnings on the test, so his licence was suspended, car impounded and he got a $378 speeding ticket.

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Two days later, he stopped a vehicle in East St. Paul doing 155 km/h in a 100 zone. A 47-year-old man blew two warnings, had has licence suspended, car impounded and was hit with a $770 speeding ticket that came with a serious offence notice, which requires a hearing with Manitoba Public Insurance.

Later that evening the constable stopped a vehicle based on information from the automated licence plate reader. The registered owner was the passenger, while a 23-year-old man provided an expired driver’s licence  that wasn’t his. His proper ID showed the driver’s licence was suspended.

Alcohol was detected on the screening device, but did not exceed the legal limit, but he was still hit with a $672 drive disqualified ticket and another for providing a false statement for the same amount. The vehicle was also impounded.

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Still on Sept. 8, shortly before midnight, a vehicle came up behind the constable’s at 138 km/h in a 100 zone. A 30-year-old man failed the sobriety test, and was issued an immediate roadside prohibition, his licence was suspended, and the vehicle — which was registered to his passenger — was impounded. He also got a $548 speeding ticket.

The next day brought two more failed alcohol screening tests, which also resulted in an immediate roadside prohibition. An RCMP spokesperson said the failed tests can result in impaired driving charges, or the prohibition, based on a number of factors.

A 24-year-old man travelling 132 km/h in a 80 zone received a $731 ticket with a serious offence notice, had his driver’s licence suspended and vehicle impounded.

Later a 51-year-old man driver going under the speed limit with his four-way flashers activated was stopped to see if the driver needed assistance, RCMP said. He told the constable he had a spare tire on and was driving slow for safety. He failed the mandatory test, was given an immediate roadside prohibition and his vehicle was impounded.

Kevin.king@kleinmedia.ca

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