"Staggering": Abbotsford Police share wild details of two drunk driving accidents (PHOTOS)

Mar 29 2023, 7:54 pm

The Abbotsford Police Department recently put out a tweet detailing two incidents of drunk driving, and police suggest there’s a “staggering” amount of it taking place.

Both incidents took place on the evening of March 28.

One of the drunk driving accidents involved a rollover collision on Highway 1, and another involved a vehicle taking out a fire hydrant.

We connected with Abbotsford Police Sergeant and Media Relations Officer Paul Walker, who shared more details about the two accidents.

On Tuesday, at around 8:32 pm, patrol officers with AbbyPD responded to a single-vehicle rollover collision in the eastbound lanes at Highway 1 near the Bradner Rest area.

Witnesses suggested the vehicle was driving at high speeds and swerving before rolling over. There was a 35-year-old man behind the wheel of this vehicle, with no other occupants present.

drunk driving

AbbyPD

AbbyPD sent us a couple of pictures of the rollover, including this one that shows a Smirnoff bottle with some contents left in it:

drunk driving

AbbyPD

The driver failed a roadside breath test and was issued a 90-day driving prohibition. In addition, his licence has been suspended for 90 days, and his vehicle has been impounded for 30 days. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The other accident took place at around 2:23 am. Patrol officers responded to the area of Blueridge and Nightingale Drive. A driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed through a fire hydrant and into the median at the intersection.

“Extensive damage was caused, resulting in the city having to attend to shut down the water supply as the hydrant had broken off from the ground.”

The driver in this accident was 32 years old and was issued a 90-day IRP Refusal “for refusing to comply with the lawful demand to provide a breath sample.” He wasn’t injured and was the only occupant.

“Impaired driving continues to climb here in Abbotsford. In 2021 we took 778 Impaired drivers (Drug & Alcohol) off Abbotsford roads. In 2022 we took 881 Impaired drivers off our streets. So far, in 2023, up until March 20th, we have taken 156 impaired drivers off our roads,” said Walker.

Walker adds, “Road safety continues to be a priority for the AbbyPD. Our officers conduct enforcement daily in a uniform and plainclothes capacity. But unfortunately, we continue to see drivers putting others at risk each day while out on the roads. Driving is a privilege and not a right. Our officers will continue to hold these drivers accountable under the Motor Vehicle Act or, in some cases, with criminal charges.”

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