From Red Deer RCMP: During the first weekend of holiday checkstops and patrols this season, Red Deer RCMP arrested three drivers – one who refused to comply with a breath demand, one who failed a breath demand, and a third man who refused a breath demand after colliding with another vehicle.

As well as conducting roving patrols all weekend, Red Deer RCMP set up two checkstops on Friday night: one on Gaetz Avenue northbound at Parkland Mall, and another on 30 Avenue southbound at the East Hill Shopping Centre.

A woman who was arrested in a checkstop last weekend was driving despite having her license suspended due to a previous impaired driving conviction; she gave police a false name initially and was found to owe $3,500 in fines after police determined her identity. She now faces a number of charges including impaired driving.

Another man was arrested after a citizen called to report him as driving impaired; the witness saw him leave a drinking establishment and collide with a parked car before driving away. RCMP located him nearby and arrested him, and RCMP are thankful to the good citizen who saw to it that he was taken off the road.

The third driver was arrested after RCMP attended a two-vehicle collision at 59 Avenue and 67 Street shortly before 11 pm on Saturday night. Fortunately, no one was injured in the collision; a 38 year old male driver was arrested for refusing to comply with a breath demand. He was also issued a traffic ticket for failing to make a safe left hand turn.

Drivers who refuse to comply with breath demands face the same consequences as those who are found to be driving impaired: the seizure of the vehicle they are driving, regardless of who the registered owner is, and the suspension of their driver’s license until the charges have moved through the courts.

“This weekend, we took three drivers off the roads who should never have gotten behind the wheel in the first place, and thankfully we got to them before someone was injured or killed,” says Sergeant Kevin Halwa of the Red Deer RCMP. “On the positive side, police officers were extremely impressed with the high number of vehicles we processed through checkstops where there was a sober designated driver or the party goers had taken a taxi or an Uber. Great job, Red Deer!”

RCMP operate checkstops and roving patrols year-round in search of impaired drivers, in accordance with Red Deer RCMP’s commitment to safer roads. RCMP thank the community for continuing to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 9-1-1 when it’s safe to do so, with a license plate, a description of the vehicle and the driver, and the direction of travel.