TWO ARRESTED AFTER SEPARATE CRASHES

(Sept 18th)

Two motorists have been arrested for impaired driving following separate crashes in Ferndale and Jerseyside this week, according to Placentia-Whitbourne RCMP.

Just after 6:00 p.m. on September 13, an officer conducting proactive patrols in Ferndale was flagged down by concerned citizens reporting a motor vehicle crash.

The officer attended the scene on Ferndale Road and observed a damaged vehicle that had collided with a residence, causing extensive damage to both the vehicle and the home.

Witnesses directed the officer to the driver, who had been taken inside the residence.

The driver, a 72-year-old woman from Dunville, was not seriously injured but exhibited signs of intoxication. She was arrested for impaired operation and transported to Placentia Health Centre, where she was presented with a demand for a blood sample to confirm her impairment.

Her licence was suspended, and her vehicle was seized and impounded. Police are awaiting laboratory results to determine whether impaired driving charges are appropriate.

Then, just before 8:00 p.m. on September 17, Placentia-Whitbourne RCMP, Emergency Medical Services and the Placentia Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle crash on Main Road in Jerseyside.

A vehicle had crashed into a shed and sustained damage. Police observed clear signs of impairment in the driver, a 63-year-old woman from Freshwater, who was subsequently arrested.

Open alcohol was also observed inside the vehicle.

The woman was brought back to the Placentia RCMP Detachment, where she refused to comply with a demand for a breath sample.

Her licence was suspended and her vehicle was seized and impounded. She will appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation and failure or refusal to comply with a demand for alcohol testing.

Police remind motorists that refusing or failing to comply with a demand issued during an impaired operation investigation is a criminal offence and carries the same penalties as a charge of impaired operation if convicted.

Placentia-Whitbourne RCMP are reminding the public that impaired drivers place themselves and others on the roadway at an increased risk of serious injury or death.

Anyone who suspects a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired is asked to call 911.