Columbia Valley RCMP Report

By S/Sgt. Marko Shehovac

At 4 p.m. on Dec. 16, Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment attended to a two vehicle accident on Highway 93/95 on the Radium (Mile) Hill.

A Kootenay Heavy Haul tractor trailer driven by an adult male turned onto the highway to travel north in heavy fog, not seeing that another semi vehicle, a Chief tractor trailer was north bound. The Chief truck in attempting to avoid the accident veered right making contact with the Heavy Haul tractor. The Chief semi truck and trailer entered into the ditch to the right and came to rest on its side (pictured above). No injuries to the drivers. The driver of the Heavy Haul was charged with unsafe start.

About 100 vehicles checked

On Dec. 13, Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment members conducted a sobriety road check at Laurier and Panorama.

Approximately 100 vehicles were checked. A number of written warnings and notices of orders given to fix items on cars that were out of order. Three Motor Vehicle Act charges and a 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 49-year-old male from Invermere was impounded and the driver issued a 90-day driving prohibition when he displayed signs of having consumed liquor. The driver blew a fail. The driver was also issued a violation ticket for driving without a valid drivers licence.

Also on Dec. 13, a Liquor Act infraction was observed at Buds Bar for allowing patrons to leave the establishment with liquor.

The bar was served with a notice and the liquor inspector for the region will follow up.

Relatives clash at pub

At 2 a.m. on Dec. 14, Columbia Valley Detachment received a complaint of disturbance at the Whitehouse Pub. Investigation revealed that two adult females related to each other had a physical confrontation. One female received minor injuries but did not wish to follow up with charges.

Impaired driver causes crash on Athalmer Road

At 6:50 p.m. on Dec. 16, Columbia Valley Detachment responded to a two-vehicle accident on Athalmer Road. A GMC Envoy driven by a 36-year-old male from Invermere entered into a curve and failed to remain on the right side of the line entering the east bound lane colliding with a Pontiac Sunfire driven by a 30-year-old female from Windermere. No injuries to either of the drivers. The driver of the GMC displayed signs of having consumed alcohol and was read the ASD demand. The driver blew a fail. The Envoy was impounded for 30 days and the driver was issued a 90-day driving prohibition.

Cram the Cruiser

With the last push before Christmas, Cram the Cruiser to collect food for the Columbia Valley food bank will be sitting at Sobey’s and AG Foods. It is our hope to have the Cruiser out between these two stores for the majority of the day this Saturday. Let’s ensure that the food bank is well stocked over the holiday season. Our thanks to the citizens who attended the Christmas Holiday Train. Cram the Cruiser along with staff from the food bank were on hand to collect your donations. You filled up a car and we also collected well over $700. Many thanks.

Christmas Eve Past

(I included this in a past article. The police often have an impact on people, but this elderly gentleman made an impact on me and I often reflect at Christmas time this brief Christmas eve encounter.)

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring, except for the domestic dispute going on next door. Police version of the poem.

This incident happened many years ago as a junior officer in Maple Ridge. My partner and I were called to a domestic disturbance in a trailer park. As the houses were all close together our attendance attracted a number of people looking on. We did our best to put the couple back into the Christmas spirit. We were hoping for a quiet Christmas Eve.

As we were ready to depart the scene and elderly male next door waved us over to him and he requested we come into the house. From what I recall he actually demanded we come inside. Again, really hoping for a quiet Christmas Eve, I was wondering what this gentleman had for us. As we entered the house he demands in an authoritative voice to have a seat at the kitchen table stating, “you guys should not have to put up with this on Christmas eve.”

He invites us to share a coffee with him. He pours us a coffee and then comes over with a bottle of brandy, ready to put a splash in with the coffee. I hold out my hand and tell the fellow that we can’t as we are on duty and before I can do anything to stop him, the splash of brandy is in our coffee. No, was not an answer he was prepared to take. Again he responds, “It’s Christmas eve and you should not have to put up with this.”

We sit and chat and during our discussion learn that his wife had passed on some time ago. As we chat on he sees that our coffee is getting low, a quick dash to the coffee pot and an even quicker dash to the brandy. We learned real quick the fellow was not going to take no as an answer. All we can do is control the splash. We carried on our chat over this delicious coffee. With some degree of force and discipline we declined his third cup advising him we should be back on the road. We thank him for the special coffee, shake hands and wish him a Merry Christmas as he thanked us for spending some time with him.

At the time I did not realize what had happened. His gift was a hot spiced up coffee. Our gift was a half hour of our time. I call that a win-win situation.

My partner and I go outside and we do some checks, stand on one foot, touch the tip of our nose, stand straight, head back, we don’t keel over, we’re good to go. Over my long career I have worked many Christmas eves but truly can only recall this one particular Christmas Eve as if it happened yesterday. The old fellow got what he probably wanted, a little company and I got to learn milk is not the only thing that mixes with coffee.

On behalf of the Columbia Valley Detachment members and staff we wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  Enjoy your time with family and be safe.

Lead photo courtesy Chris Conway

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