The Winkler Police Service is drawing attention to a trio of impaired driving-related incidents that took place over the Canada Day long weekend.
Police report on July 1st, that a 44-year-old woman was charged with Driving While Impaired after going through a red light at the intersection of Highway 14 and 1st Street, colliding with another vehicle. While speaking to the woman, police noted that she had recently consumed alcohol. Two breath samples resulted in readings almost three times the legal limit.
Then, shortly before midnight on July 2nd, officers noticed a vehicle driving erratically down Main Street. Police report the vehicle was travelling between 50 – 80 km/h and hit the curb on three occasions. Police conducted a traffic stop and observed open liquor in the vehicle however, the driver provided a breath sample which registered a zero reading. Police add, that the driver was displaying signs of impairment and therefore a Standardized Field Sobriety Test was conducted to rule out impairment by a drug. The driver performed the test poorly resulting in a 72-hour drivers license suspension. The 28-year-old female driver was also charged with possession of a controlled substance after police located a quantity of cocaine within the vehicle.
Finally, a 17-year-old novice driver was issued a $113 ticket for operating a motor vehicle while having alcohol in the blood. Police had stopped the vehicle after receiving a report of a possible impaired driver on Main Street late on July 3rd. A breath sample showed the novice driver was not over the legal limit, however, police say the driver is required to abide by a zero blood alcohol concentration restriction on his licence.