By Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck

This past week witnessed a significant population increase in the Columbia Valley as things were considerably busier than normal with about 90 calls for service. The following is a small sample of a few of those calls.

Fortunate outcome

On December 30, just after 8 a.m. Columbia Valley RCMP received a call surrounding a vehicle versus deer collision at Lakeview Road and Highway 93/95. The caller said that no one was hurt and their Kia Sorento was still drivable and they were continuing on their way but the driver was not sure if the deer was dead or not. Members attended to find deer hair on the highway and the injured deer in the ditch on the west side of the highway. As members approached the deer got up and walked away further west into a nearby subdivision. Members ascertained that the deer hit the front passenger bumper and did not damage the vehicle. It appeared that both the vehicle and deer were fortunate.

Abandoned sled mystery solved

Later that morning the RCMP received a report about an abandoned off road vehicle in Windermere. The complainant reported that he woke up in the morning and found an abandoned snowmobile in his front yard.  From the tracks it appeared that the driver lost control and rolled it over into his yard. Police attended and located a Blue 1998 Touring Skidoo. The complainant advised he had not heard anything overnight and did not recognize the snowmobile; it was subsequently towed. The responding RCMP members attempted to follow the tracks of the snowmobile. However, they went all through the neighbourhood and could not be tracked back to a single residence. Also noted were several beer cans strewn around many of the tracks.

Later in the day the owner of the snowmobile called RCMP and reported that his friend had rolled the machine without sustaining an injury but they could not get it re-started. There was no damage to the complainant’s yard and minimal damage to the snowmobile. The owner was reminded that the snowmobile constitutes a motor vehicle and if someone is found operating a snowmobile while impaired they could be charged criminally for impaired operation.

Alcohol ruled calls on NY Eve

New’ Years Eve was steady with about 20 calls for service in a 24 hour period; most were alcohol related.

Lobby loiterers swipe cheque

On January 2, at about 6 p.m., Columbia Valley RCMP received dispatch of a theft that occurred at a hotel in Invermere. The complainant reported that there had been two young males hanging around in the lobby area of the hotel and engaged the night clerk in conversation. At some point one of them stole a cheque from behind the front counter. They then attempted to cash the cheque at a liquor store near the hotel. The store employee would not cash the cheque and the two men returned to the hotel lobby.  The front desk attendant confronted the two men and was able to retrieve the cheque from them; both men then departed on foot. The men were described as being in their early twenties and were Caucasian. Patrols were conducted in the area with no luck. RCMP continues to follow up.

23 motor vehicle incidents and more

The week also consisted of 23 motor vehicle incidents, mostly vehicles skidding off of the highway into the ditch; there were also 15 abandoned 911 calls and five complaints of impaired drivers.

– Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck is commander of the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment

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