On March 22nd, the Morden Police Service and Morden Fire & Rescue responded to a two-vehicle collision on Highway 3.
A missing vehicle
When police reached the location, however, there was only one vehicle in the vicinity.
“We arrived on scene and found a vehicle with significant damage in the ditch and did not immediately locate the second vehicle,” says Morden Police Chief Brad Neduzak. “EMS arrived on scene along with Morden Fire & Rescue.”
The police chief says that while first responders were assisting the driver in the ditch, police located the second vehicle involved in the collision.
An odour of alcohol
As police had a conversation with the second vehicle's driver, Chief Neduzak says that “an odour of liquor was detected.”
“As a result, the driver was arrested and brought back to the police station so that proper breath samples could be provided,” he says. “The male driver subsequently failed and was charged with driving while impaired causing bodily harm and released on an undertaking to attend Morden Provincial Court in June.”
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Chief Neduzak says that one of the drivers was transported to the hospital for assessment after the incident.
No life-threatening injuries are reported.
'There just seems to be this disregard’
Instances of driving while intoxicated are a trend in the region despite Morden Police Service’s increased presence on the roads.
“You would think that because we are involved in extra [traffic] enforcement, people [would be] aware that we're out there and stopping vehicles,” says Chief Neduzak.
“There just seems to be this disregard [for being] responsible, I guess, and not getting behind the wheel when you're drinking. Unfortunately, these numbers continue to be seen in our media releases.”
Chief Neduzak reminds the public to arrange alternative transportation after consuming alcohol.
To find help with substance abuse, see the list of resources at the bottom of this article.
With files from Robyn Wiebe