On the day after a major snowstorm PEI RCMP laid two charges of impaired driving, and responded to two calls of suspected impaired drivers. These incidents all occurred on Tuesday, February 6.
At 11:45 a.m., RCMP stopped a vehicle in the Marshfield area after police noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from it. A roadside check of the driver tested positive for cannabis resulting in a further demand from police for a blood sample. The vehicle was towed, and the driver was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where two samples were obtained. The driver was issued a 7-day driving suspension and the vehicle was impounded for three days. This incident remains under investigation pending results of the blood tests.
Later that afternoon, during a stop of a vehicle not displaying a current safety inspection sticker, police again noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and the driver presented signs of being impaired by cannabis. The same procedures noted above were followed after a roadside test of the driver was positive for recent cannabis use. This incident is also still under investigation.
Over the course of the day, PEI RCMP responded to two additional calls from the public, possibly involving impaired drivers, however there was insufficient evidence to proceed with charges in these cases. The public is always encouraged to call 9-1-1 if you see a suspected impaired driver.
Road conditions across PEI remain challenging, with many sections of secondary roads down to one lane. "As snowplows continue to work around the clock to clear roads, PEI RCMP remind all motorists to use a great deal of caution, and be alert to your surroundings," says Corporal Gavin Moore, Media Relations Officer PEI RCMP. "Driving impaired is never a good idea, and under the conditions we continue to see across the Island, those who do so are putting themselves, and others, at extreme risk," adds Moore.