Columbia Valley RCMP Report

Traffic services working Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park (KNP) report the following: 206 tickets were issued over the weekend; 32 vehicles ticketed for excessive speeding resulting in 32 vehicles being impounded. Additionally, one 24-hour suspension for being impaired by a drug; three no insurance charges. Should be another jeer coming in.

Thanks for contributing food

Our thanks to those who contributed food and money for the Columbia Valley Food Bank during the parade. This event is sponsored by Radium, Invermere Rotary and the Detachment. I also understand the RCMP build-a-boat effort sunk. This year we lost the floor hockey championship with the kids and now we sink our boat! I have initiated an internal inquiry as to how these things are happening. Heads are going to roll.

Advil recommended

At 2:30 a.m. on June 28, the detachment was called when a roommate was concerned about an intoxicated friend who left the residence. Police and the concerned roommate patrolled the area without luck. The roommate was later located back at the residence passed out. Cst. Harper recommended Advil in the morning for his friend.

Insecure load leads to several charges

A Columbia Valley Detachment member located a pickup truck driving on Laurier Street and 3^rd Avenue with an unsecure load at 12:35 a.m. on June 29. The 26-year-old driver from Alberta displayed signs of having consumed liquor. An ASD demand was read and the driver blew a warning. The vehicle was impounded for three days. The driver was charged with no driver’s licence and no insurance. A bike in the unsecure load was also determined to have been stolen. The driver was also charged with possession of stolen property.

Unsafe pass causes crash

At 8:45 a.m. on June 29, Columbia Valley Detachment attended a single vehicle accident on Hwy 93/95 and Dincy Rd. The accident happened when one vehicle attempted to pass another vehicle. The 42-year-old female driver passing realized she would not be able to complete the pass due to an oncoming vehicle braked and lost control ending up in the ditch. The driver received minor injuries. The driver was charged with pass left unsafely.

Four-vehicle collision south of Windermere

Also at 8:45 a.m. on June 29, Detachment members attended to a four-vehicle collision on Hwy 93/95 near Lakeshore Campground turnoff. A long line up of vehicles was northbound when a vehicle up front braked. The second and third vehicles behind were able to stop except for the fourth vehicle causing a chain reaction. Damage was minor. A 20-year-old male from Invermere was charged with follow too close.

Complaint leads to charges

As a result of a 12:30 p.m. complaint of dirt bikes and quads operating on Hwy 93/95 June 30, two adult males were stopped near Fairmont Hot Springs and charged with failing to wear helmets and one male charged with failing to produce his driver’s licence.

Maybe stolen; maybe not

At 10:30 p.m. on June 30, Columbia Valley Detachment received a complaint of theft of an older style lawnmower and workout bench in the 4700 block of Burns Avenue in Canal Flats. The owner was moving out and left them outside near the street. Someone may have thought they were left abandoned and helped themselves. Not the case and if you did pick them up simply give us a call and we can get them back to the owner.

Driver’s licence challenge

In the past I did a write up on some of the challenges elders are facing on keeping their driver’s licence, which provides them with independence. As my Dad said, “take away my licence, might as well take away my life.” We thought about it for a second.

No doubt many readers have stories of their own when it comes to concerns with our parents/grandparents, who are getting up in age and their driving abilities fail drastically. An update. My father is now 90 and there is no longer a concern in regards to his licence. The new challenge was convincing him that an extended care home would be to his advantage. We managed to get him into a care facility. Like his licence, a bit of a challenge until I put the challenge back to him. I reminded him that during the war he spent time in a prison camp, so I suggested like he did in the prison camp, he should gather a bunch of the men in the care home and start a tunnel committee.

The last I checked he must have collapsed the tunnel as he’s starting to enjoy the care facility. He’s timed the ice cream cart when he partakes of ice cream in the lounge on the first floor and how long before the cart is making it’s round back to his room on the third floor. He’s timing the prison guards. Body is giving up on him but the mind is still sharp.

S/Sgt. Marko Shehovac,

Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment

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