Nanaimo RCMP say a driver is lucky to be alive and to have walked away with only minor injuries after veering off road and colliding with a BC Hydro pole.
The collision took place at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, January 6th at the intersection of Morden Road and Aikenhead Road.
“The force of the collision almost sheared the hydro pole in half,” wrote R/Cst Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP, in a media release.
Police arrived at the scene after firefighters, paramedics and BC Hydro. There, they found the driver, a man aged in his early 60s, out of the vehicle and medically cleared by attending paramedics.
Police say that evidence obtained at the scene led them to believe the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision.
The man took two breathalyzer tests, which both resulted in a “fail,” and he was subsequently issued an immediate roadside prohibition of 90 days.
His vehicle was towed from the scene and a sober driver was arranged to pick him up.
“Because of the decision this individual made to drink and drive, significant front-line emergency resources were tied up for an extended period of time and unable to attend to other emergency calls for service,” said O’Brien.
Nanaimo RCMP says that impaired drivers needlessly kill and maim people every day in communities across Canada.
Anyone who suspects a vehicle is being operated by an impaired driver should call 911 as soon as it is safe to do.
