By Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck

During the past week Columbia Valley RCMP responded to about 70 calls for service.  The following is a small but interesting sample of those calls.

Trucks easily stolen from Radium

Two trucks were stolen from Radium Hot Springs on May 29. In both cases the keys were made available while the truck was parked and not secure.

Then, on May 30 the subject we believe responsible for these thefts was apprehended in Cranbrook when he put himself, and police, in a dangerous situation while being arrested; at the time of the arrest he was in one of the stolen trucks taken from Radium.

Then around 2 a.m. on May 31, in an effort to recover the other stolen vehicle, Columbia Valley RCMP conducted patrols at the two Radium hilltop chalets. The missing truck was located in a chalet parking lot as it was obviously dumped in haste.  We are working with the Crown Prosecutor and Cranbrook RCMP Detachment to hold the culprit accountable.

Erratic driver turns out to be impaired

On June 1, Columbia Valley RCMP was on patrol in a marked police vehicle when at approximately 11:15 p.m. members noted a vehicle being operated in a strange manner.

When there was no traffic the car came to a complete stop at the intersection of 7th Avenue for approximately five seconds. Then, the car was noted to turn left but travelled at an extreme path that was considerably wider than normal. Police decided to chat with the female driver to determine her ability to operate a vehicle. When the RCMP went to pull the vehicle over, it pulled into a parking stall on the right, after initially signaling to go left.

Once stopped the driver quickly emerged from the driver’s seat and got out of the vehicle before the police could get up to the car. While chatting with the driver the odour of liquor on her breath was strong and immediately apparent. After some conversation she admitted to drinking and then getting behind the wheel prior to chatting with police. She provided two samples of her breath in a roadside screening device, both of which proved she was impaired. Consequently, her driver’s licence was seized for 90 days and her vehicle towed.

Titan-ic taillight mystery quickly solved

On June 4 at 9 a.m., Columbia Valley RCMP received a complaint of a hit and run that occurred sometime overnight on 11th Avenue in Invermere. The complainant reported that her 2005 Nissan Titan had been parked in a residential complex parking lot overnight and when she went to get into it she noted that it had been struck on the driver’s side.

Police attended and noted that the vehicle had been pushed partially out of the parking spot and there was damage to the truck. There was also taillight debris from another vehicle, which was seized; the attending RCMP member determined that the broken taillight belonged to another Nissan Titan. There were no witnesses and residents in the area advised that they had not heard anything overnight.

Not long after, RCMP was notified that another Titan owner had attended to the collision scene and advised that his 2007 Nissan Titan had a damaged taillight and he believed his daughter may have struck something overnight. He advised that he had spoken to his daughter and she advised that she was not aware of the damage. Police met with the father and daughter and examined the damage and confirmed it was the vehicle was from the collision. However, because there was no proof (witnesses) as to what might have happened or who was driving no charges are considered.

Construction zone speeding crackdown here

For the month of June, Columbia Valley RCMP will be performing some enhanced traffic enforcement surrounding construction zones.

Speed increases the risk of vehicle collisions, and if ticketed can be an expensive risk to take. With that said, the greatest cost of speed is trauma and human life, especially to those that are working to maintain the roads we so often travel. If we catch you speeding in a construction zone you could face a fine of $253. If you are in a construction zone, please slow down so the workers can get home to their families after a long hot summer day.

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

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