The limousine driver told Vernon RCMP he was having problems with some drunk passengers.
As he told police this story, officers noticed liquor on the breath of the driver.
Vernon RCMP were contacted by a limo driver at 11:15 p.m. Saturday as he was on Okanagan Landing Road at Dallas Road.
“The driver was requesting assistance in removing a number of passengers from his limo,” said Vernon RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk. “He advised police that several passengers were causing problems and were intoxicated.”
While dealing with the complaint at roadside, some of the 18 passengers got out of the vehicle and wanted to know why the driver had stopped.
“While our officers were speaking with the driver, the officer noticed an odour of liquor on the driver’s breath,” said Molendyk.
The limo driver, a 51-year-old Kelowna man, was given a breath demand, and he provided a sample of his breath into a roadside screening device which resulted in a fail.
The driver was then taken to Vernon Jubilee Hospital to provide a sample of his blood to determine the blood-alcohol level. Molendyk said a blood demand was requested due to medical conditions.
The 18 passengers of the limo continued on in taxis.
Molendyk said it was not clear on the police file exactly where the passengers were from or why they were in the limousine, nor was it clear what exactly the disturbance was that caused the driver to phone RCMP.
He added the driver is expected to face impaired driving charges when the results return from the lab.
