By Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck

The past week Columbia Valley RCMP received about 50 calls for service; the following is a sample of those calls.

Male breaks arm in workplace accident

On April 18, at about 1 p.m., Columbia Valley RCMP was dispatched to a workplace accident. A member of the Windermere Fire Service was at the fire hall and heard a male yelling for help. The fireman soon located a male who had his body trapped by a forklift. The trapped male had been working on the lift himself when it shifted. The male suffered a broken arm, but was awake and alert throughout the event. He was transported to the Invermere and District Hospital for assessment. The RCMP will liaise with WorkSafe BC on the investigation.

Impaired driver strikes pedestrian in Fairmont

On April 19, at about 2 a.m., Columbia Valley RCMP received a report of a vehicle versus pedestrian collision on Wills Road, Fairmont Hot Springs. BC Ambulance Service reported that they were attending for an injured female who had been struck by a vehicle.

Police immediately attended and noted that the Ambulance Service was assessing the injured female upon police arrival. Through the course of the investigation it was determined that a Chevrolet Malibu being operated by a 29-year-old female was travelling west on Wills Road as several pedestrians were walking east on the road. There was no shoulder or sidewalk on the roadway and the driver ended up striking one of the pedestrians.

A 22-year-old female was hit by the front bumper of the car causing her to be thrown onto the hood before falling backwards onto the ground.

As police furthered the investigation it was noted that the driver exhibited signs of being impaired by alcohol and was detained. The pedestrian was eventually transported to the Invermere and District Hospital for further assessment and treatment of minor injuries to her leg and lower torso. The driver was transported to the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment and provided breath samples; both samples provided evidence that the driver was impaired. Charges of being impaired while operating a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle with over 80 mg have been recommended.

Vehicle vandalized in Canal Flats

During the morning of April 19 a resident of Canal Flats contacted Columbia Valley RCMP to report vandalism to her son’s vehicle. It was apparent that someone had spray painted all windows and lights black.

RCMP attended, assessed the scene but could not find anything of evidentiary value. There were no other reports of similar mischief in town. Police suspect this incident was specifically aimed at the young driver and vehicle.  Police are asking that if anyone has any information to call RCMP.

Duffle bag left at station

Sometime during the morning hours of Saturday April 23, RCMP found a duffel bag that had been left at the front door of the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment. The bag was inspected and we were unable to locate any identification inside of the bag and it only contained clothing and a water bottle. If anyone knows about this small duffle bag please let us know so we can get it to its proper owner.

Senior driver’s ability to be evaluated

During the afternoon of April 24, Columbia Valley RCMP came across a red Honda Fit straddling the 10-inch concrete median dividing north/south traffic on 7th Avenue in Invermere – right in front of the Court House. The 83-year-old female driver and another person who stopped to assist were standing on the shoulder of 7th Ave. looking at her stuck vehicle. The RCMP stopped to determine if everyone was okay and to ascertain what may have happened.

The driver seemed confused and was wandering around the roadway.  As police spoke with the driver it was learned that she remained confused as to how her vehicle became centered on the median. Eventually police requested BC Ambulance to attend the scene to assess the driver and ensure she was not injured or suffering from some kind of medical distress.

Ambulance attended, spoke with her, and then transported her to the Invermere and District Hospital. Once at the hospital it was learned that this is not the first time the female has had questionable driving behaviour and steps are being taken to evaluate her ability to operate a motor vehicle in the future.

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

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