Police laying several charges against impaired drivers in HRM

Some people in Halifax municipality are suspended from driving and their vehicle towed after police charged them with impaired driving.

Over the course of the weekend, regional police were out conducting enforcement in the city where they charged several people for driving under the influence, including multiple people who had a high blood alcohol concentration.

This comes after a back-to-back weekend of targeted enforcement for officers who say that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a “significant factor in preventable crashes, injuries, and fatalities.”

The first incident happened Aug. 15 around 12:45 a.m. Police were sent a report about a Hyundai Kona that left Highway 102 near Goffs. When they arrived, police described the driver as being impaired.

The man refused to identify himself which forced officers to arrest him for obstruction and impaired driving. When he arrived at the detachment he registered a 170 mg% in tests.

The 23-year-old was issued a licence suspension and a ticket for driving while revoked, the release reads.

Just under 45 minutes later, another team near in Beaver Bank were called to an area where a GMC Sierra crashed into two parked vehicles.

Police were told that the truck was travelling on Beaver Bank Road when it veered off the road into several front years before hitting a tree. Then the driver reversed into a parked Toyota RAV4 that also collided with a Mazda 3.

“The 49-year-old Lower Sackville man was arrested for impaired driving and transported to the Lower Sackville RCMP Detachment, where he provided two breath samples that each registered 120 mg%,” officials said of the situation.

High speeds result in unregistered driver being charged

The same day around 6:00 p.m. an officer was on Highway 107 in Musquodoboit Harbour.

Using their speed gun, the officer clocked a Honda Civic travelling well above the speed limit and went to stop the vehicle.

The driver refused a breath sample after “multiple attempts” by police to provide one. As a result, the 31-year-old was arrested for failing to comply with a roadside demand, on top of the four summary offence tickets for speeding, failing to maintain required insurance, operating an unregistered vehicle and violating the zero-alcohol condition of his driver’s licence.

Man passed out at McDonald’s

The next day, Aug. 16, RCMP were called by a member of the public who said a driver was “passed out” in a restaurant drive-thru.

When they arrived around 12:25 a.m., officers took a proactive approach and put down a tire deflation belt before waking the man up, the release details.

After waking up the driver, the man drove away from police on Sackville Drive. Officers identified the 42-year-old and tracked him down at a home on Spinner Avenue by 3:55 a.m.

He is facing several charges including flight from police.

That same morning, officials found an Audi S3 that left the roadway on the Ingramport Connector. When they arrived they saw the driver outside the vehicle who was looking impaired.

He gave a breath test on the road before he was sent to a detachment where he registered 180 mg% and 170 mg%.

The 20-year-old from Lakeside is expected at a Halifax court at a later date.

“Anyone who suspects a driver is impaired is encouraged to call 911 immediately,” RCMP said.