A driver who asked Nanaimo RCMP where road checks would be set up so that she could avoid them ended up being arrested.
The Nanaimo RCMP Municipal Traffic Unit checked close to 600 vehicles as part of CounterAttack impaired driving enforcement last weekend, according to a press release.
Police say of the 600 vehicles that went through the road checks, only five motorists were tested for alcohol consumption. One was arrested for impaired driving and another for obstruction.
The obstruction arrest happened at a road check near Enterprise Road and the old Island Highway.
“When the officer explained the reason for the road checks, [the driver] demanded to know where all future road checks would be so she could avoid them,” noted the release.
She then refused to produce her driver’s licence and after being asked repeatedly to do so, she was arrested for obstruction, and later released on a promise to appear in provincial court in Nanaimo. Her first court date has been set for early February.
READ ALSO: RCMP launch month-long impaired driving counterattack campaign
The other arrest involved a driver who allegedly tried to evade a road check set up near Cypress Street and Terminal Avenue. The 29-year-old driver was stopped a short distance away and allegedly displayed symptoms of impairment, so a breath sample was taken, which she allegedly failed. She was issued a 90-day roadside driving prohibition and her vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
Road checks were conducted from 7 p.m. to midnight at locations throughout the city this past weekend.
“Overall the vast majority of drivers were appreciative of our efforts and wished us well,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, in the release. “Not surprisingly, others took the opportunity to let the officers know how they felt being delayed for a few minutes … please be patient as our officers are doing their part to keep you safe during the holiday season.”
Throughout the night, officers also handed out coffee cards to designated drivers for a free coffee provided by a local McDonald’s franchise, which according to police, were well-received by all.
READ ALSO: Police dog nabs suspect who bolted from road check, hid in bushes in Qualicum Beach
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