Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor for a single vehicle collision that occurred near Willis Road just after midnight on Friday, Jan. 24.
Multiple reports were received from members of the public and an off duty officer that a red SUV was proceeding southbound in the northbound lanes of the Inland Island Highway. Officers responded and found a Mazda matching the description of the complaints. The vehicle had crashed and was engulfed in flames.
After investigation by responding officers, charges are being sought for impaired driving.
“Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured as a result of this incident,” Const Maury Tyre said in a press release. “Events like this are a stark reminder of the dangers posed to the general public by impaired drivers. There is simply no excuse in today’s day and age to step behind the wheel while you are impaired by alcohol or drugs. It is simply unacceptable to place people’s lives at risk to avoid paying for a cab or calling for a ride.”
The Campbell River RCMP and the North Island Traffic Services remain ever vigilant in locating and prosecuting impaired drivers, Tyre said. If you wish to report impaired driving in progress, please call 911.