On May 1 at 6:32 p.m., an Elk Valley RCMP officer was on patrol in Fernie when there was a report of a white lifted Chevy truck with silver box rails doing donuts near the boat launch, almost hitting a family walking in the area.

Witnesses believed the driver to be impaired.

The officer located the vehicle in James White Park and initiated a traffic stop with emergency lights engaged. The driver cooperated and pulled over.

While completing checks on the vehicle, the driver pulled away slowly from the original vehicle stop, waving his arm out the window while looking back at the officer. The licence was observed and is known to police.

Clear identification of the driver was not made during the vehicle stop.

The driver continued at a relatively slow pace for a few hundred feet, at which point the officer hit the siren briefly to get the driver’s attention.

At this point, the driver accelerated and thus the officer stopped and shut off his emergency equipment as he believed the driver was not going to stop for police. As the officer waited on site, two more calls were received about the dangerous driving behaviour of the man in the white Chevy.

The truck was not located that evening again.

On May 2 at 8:55 a.m., Elk Valley Regional attended to the Elko area for a report of an impaired driver at a work site. The officer confirmed with the company that the man involved in this complaint was driving the white Chevy truck with matching licence plate from the night before. Surveillance video was obtained.

The driver presented having some medical concerns and as such was transported to Fernie Hospital for treatment.

The officer completed a thorough review of the vehicle and deemed it unsafe for the road, removing it from for inspection prior to further use.

Upon attending the hospital, it was learned the driver had consumed drugs prior to driving the Chevy to work.

The officer followed through by giving the man a 24-hour prohibition related to drug use.

The 37-year-old local man denied driving the vehicle, but was then presented with surveillance indicating otherwise, at which point he accepted the 24-hour suspension. (File 2023-1181 refers to this investigation.)

“Police believe the driver is the same man who fled from police the night before,” reported S/Sgt. Svend Nielsen, Elk Valley RCMP Detachment commander.

“The investigation into file 2023-1172 is ongoing, with further enforcement action to be taken against the driver or registered owner of the truck.)

Anyone with information can contact Elk Valley RCMP at 250-425-6233 to provide their statement to an officer, or a person can choose to provide their evidence anonymously by contacting BC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Please refer to file 2023-1172.

e-KNOW file photo

e-KNOW

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