During the weekend, and only in Sherbrooke, four drivers were arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol.
Impaired driving is still a problem and it is not for nothing that all of the province's police health services carry out numerous roadblocks during the holiday season. Remember that on December 12, nearly 50 drivers were arrested in Quebec for driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
The trend is downward
According to StatsCAN, the frequency of police-reported impaired driving incidents is on a downward trend. In Canada, 71,602 impaired driving cases were reported by the police in 2023, which represents a rate of 179 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is a fourth consecutive annual decline and the lowest rate on record.
Here is a summary from the Sherbrooke Police Department of the four arrests that occurred this weekend
Friday evening around 10:45 p.m.:
A police officer on regular patrol located a material accident opposite 3155 Portland Boulevard. Once there to meet the people involved, he noticed that one of the two drivers was drunk.
The 42-year-old man was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol after failing the test in the approved screening device. The at-fault driver was transported to the police station and attended to by a qualified technician.
The man was released after blowing more than twice the legal limit. He will have to appear in court at a later date.
Saturday evening, around 8 p.m.:
Two motorists called the police to report leaving the road opposite 3150 chemin Saint-Roch. The driver reportedly got out of the vehicle and did not appear injured. Witnesses mention that the vehicle is on its roof. The police arrived on scene and witnesses clearly identified the man who was behind the wheel.
After a short investigation and ensuring that the driver was not injured, officers arrested the 35-year-old man for driving while impaired by alcohol. The man was transported to the police station for testing with a trained technician. He was released on summons after failing the tests.
During the night from Saturday to Sunday around 1:20 a.m.:
Several calls were made to the police department to mention that a vehicle had just hit a lamp post at the intersection of King Street West and Jacques-Cartier Boulevard South.
The first police officers quickly noticed the damage on site. Firefighters and paramedics are also requested to the scene. A total of three people were in the vehicle involved. Once they had ensured that the people were not injured, the police met the driver involved and noted that she was intoxicated.
She is transported to the police station after failing the test in the approved detection device. The 20-year-old was released after blowing twice the legal limit. She will eventually have to appear in court to answer a charge of driving while impaired by alcohol.
Sunday morning, around 6:30 a.m.:
A witness called the police department to report that a vehicle was stuck in the median at the intersection of Dunant and Kingston streets. The witness is able to provide a precise description of the suspect vehicle. Police officers from the area quickly moved to the scene. The vehicle was finally located opposite 1600 rue des Boisés.
The police stopped the vehicle and found that the driver, who vomited inside his vehicle, was intoxicated. They arrested him for driving while impaired by alcohol.
The 34-year-old man also failed the tests performed by the qualified technician. He was released pending further proceedings in the Criminal Court.
All of the drivers had their driving licenses suspended and their vehicles seized. The police service reminds the public that the concerted national operation continues. The police continue to increase their presence and their checks in relation to drivers whose abilities are impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Source: SPS et StatCan
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