Burin Peninsula RCMP arrested two individuals between August 4-5, 2021, for impaired driving offences and await results from a single vehicle collision investigation to see if impaired charges for another individual are appropriate.
On August 4, 2021, police observed two vehicles which appeared to be speeding, leaving a driveway in Burin. A traffic stop was conducted on both vehicles. The driver of one vehicle, a 20-year-old man was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, and subsequently failed a roadside test. He was arrested for impaired driving and provided breath samples in excess of the legal limit. His vehicle was seized and impounded, his licence suspended, and he was released to appear in court at a later date. The driver of the second vehicle was found to be sober but was given a warning for the reckless driving behaviour and released.
Later the same day, Burin Peninsula RCMP responded to a complaint of a driver who was believed to be driving while impaired by drug. Police located the described vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, a 39-year-old Fort McMurray man, showed signs of impairment consistent with cannabis and there was marihuana and drug paraphernalia in plain view in the vehicle. He failed a roadside screening test and was arrested for drug impaired driving. He was transported back to the detachment where further testing was completed. Officers await the results of the testing to determine if charges of drug-impaired driving are appropriate. The man was released from custody, issued a driver's license suspension and his vehicle was seized and impounded.
On August 5, 2021, police responded to a single vehicle collision in Salt Pond. The driver, a 27-year-old Conception Bay South man, and the passenger were taken to the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre and then airlifted to St. John's for further treatment. The driver of the vehicle is believed to have been impaired by alcohol at the time of the collision, and an impaired driving investigation is ongoing in relation to the incident.
RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.