Columbia Valley RCMP Report

At 10:55 p.m. on Oct. 4 a vehicle was observed to be driving in an erratic manner in Radium Hot Springs, speeding, fish tailing and going through two stop signs without stopping. The 2005 Chevrolet Silverado was stopped in the parking lot of the Prestige Inn and the 27-year-old female driver from Radium displayed signs of being impaired by alcohol.  An ASD demand was read and the driver failed. A breath demand was read and the driver was taken back to the detachment for a breath test, at which point she blew over .08. The driver also had an expired driver’s licence.  She has been charged with impaired driving, driving over .08 and will appear in Invermere Provincial court on Dec. 10.

Gas stolen from Copper Point

On Oct. 4 the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment received a complaint of theft of gas from the storage compound of Copper Point Golf Resort.

Creston man injured in KNP crash

Columbia Valley Detachment received a report at 11 a.m. on Oct. 5 of a single vehicle accident where an 83-year-old male from Creston drove off the road seven km past Kootenay Crossing, on Hwy. 93 in Kootenay National Park. Police were diverted to a fatal accident at the time and were unable to respond.  An off duty Calgary police officer and off duty Calgary paramedic assisted the male and drove him to the detachment.  It was determined that the male swerved to avoid an animal.  The man received facial injuries and was taken to the Invermere and District Hospital and later released.

Calgary woman killed by rock thrown by semi

At 11:10 a.m. on Oct. 5 Columbia Valley Detachment members and an East Kootenay Traffic officer responded to a fatal accident just north of Fairmont Hot Springs.  It was determined that the 2008 Subaru driven by a 45-year-old male from Calgary was north bound on the bridge at Canal Flats when a southbound Kenworth passed by on the same bridge and a large rock was dislodged from the truck.

The rock flew into the passenger side of the Subaru, striking the 37-year-old female passenger, resulting in her death. The driver continued to drive towards Invermere to get to the hospital but came to a stop near Fairmont.  Two young children were in the back seat and uninjured.  Ambulance, fire and police attended to provide assistance. Further assistance from East Kootenay Traffic located the commercial vehicle near Wasa and was seized for further investigation.

Traffic services found other violations of insecure load when the vehicle was stopped.  The investigation is continuing.

Our thanks to Dr. Ian White, police Victim Services and emergency staff at the hospital for attending to the husband’s emotional needs and taking care of his two children, ages three months and three years. For a period of approximately seven hours until family could attend, you were their family.

Weak drinker gets overnight invite

Detachment members attended a disturbance scene in front of Buds Bar to deal with a 19-year-old male who can’t hold his drink and refused friends’ help to depart the area and one warning from police to leave with his friends. He was invited to a sleep over at the detachment and released with charges of being drunk in public the next morning.

Alberta man dodges death/injury in collision with moose in KNP

Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment received word of a single vehicle accident on Hwy. 93 near Vermilian Crossing in Kootenay National Park.  A 2010 GMC pickup driven by a 50-year-old male from Red Deer collided with a moose. There were no injuries to the driver and the vehicle was operational.  The moose was last seen running into the woods.

Ladder pinched

At 10:17 p.m. on Oct. 8 Columbia Valley Detachment received a complaint of theft of an extension ladder from a garage in the 1000 block of Baltac Road.

Power of observation

One of the many demands and qualities a police officer must have is good powers of observation and memory to jot down those observations.

The RCMP entrance exam tests these skills for applicants. Some officers are good at it; some not so good. Case-in- point:  with the move from Golden to Invermere many are aware that we kept our house in Golden where my wife continues to work and we purchased a townhouse in Radium.

Bev comes to the valley far more often, and it seems infrequently I go back to Golden.  Last week I was in Golden and while sitting in the family room I chuckled, at which point Bev asked what was so funny?  I advised her that I saw a Robert Bateman picture in Invermere and at the time was trying to place where I had seen it before. I was staring at it in my family room. At the same time, I called out to our dog but called out my son’s name trying to get the dog’s attention (could have been worse had I been trying to get the wife’s attention.)

At this point Bev introduced me to our family dog, Taz, and reminded me we’ve had her for eight years and our son is in Calgary doing quite well. She hinted that I should visit her more often in Golden.

This weekend we spent Thanksgiving at a friend’s house in McBride and I commented that I liked the fact that Barry has a big floor carpet on the hardwood floor under the living room table and we should do that in Golden. She said, of course, “we do have one.”  At that point for the second time this last weekend I made a mental note from here on in, I would keep my mouth shut after strike one and quit while I’m ahead of the game.

No idea why I thought I was ahead of the game. Like I said, some officers are good at it, some not so good.

S/Sgt. Marko Shehovac

Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment

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