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RCMP BRIEFS: Spike in impaired driving, another Trans-Canada crash and search for missing dog

Revelstoke RCMP conducted eight impaired driving investigations last weekend — almost half total conducted the rest of the year combined.
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Revelstoke RCMP.

The Revelstoke RCMP conducted eight impaired driving investigations last weekend — almost half the total they conducted the rest of the year combined.

From Friday, Nov. 28, to Sunday, Nov. 30, Revelstoke RCMP and Trans-Canada East Traffic Services conducted eight impaired driving investigations, compared to 18 in the 11 months leading up the weekend.

The numbers do not include those who were given immediate roadside prohibitions, or IRPs.

In 2013 there were 58 impaired investigations.

"The Revelstoke RCMP strive to keep people safe. Impaired driving enforcement keeps those, who are driving while their ability is affected by alcohol or drugs, off the road," said Staff-Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky in a news release. "The effects of impaired driving on a community are quite apparent when injuries and deaths result. Having a designated driver, or not driving when drinking, are the best solutions."

The penalty for impaired driving ranges depending on ones level of intoxication and prior record.

Someone registering between 50–59 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood can be given a 24-hour driving suspension.

For people giving a breath sample that registers as a 'warn' – between 60–99 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – the penalty is three-day driving prohibition, possible three-day vehicle impoundment and $200 fine.

Those registering a 'fail' – more than 100 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – can be handed a 90-day driving prohibition, 30-day vehicle impoundment and a $500 fine.

An impaired driver can be charged under the criminal code and can receive a $1,000 fine and one year driving prohibition if they're found guilty in court. A repeat offender will automatically be subject to a criminal investigation, said Grabinsky, and RCMP officers can use their own discretion to proceed with criminal charges.

Two injured in Trans-Canada crash

Two men were injured after losing control of the transport truck they were driving in near Revelstoke on Tuesday.

The crash took place on the Trans-Canada Highway near the Meadows in the Sky Parkway turn off at around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

It happened when the westbound semi lost control and went flying over the road, first hitting the embankment on one side of the road before skidding back across and hitting the embankment on the other side and coming to a stop, said Staff-Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky of the Revelstoke RCMP.

The two men were able to escape from the vehicle and were treated for minor injuries.

Grabinsky said they were ticketed for speeding in excess of road conditions. He said the road was slippery — it had been plowed, but not sanded.

The crash closed the highway through Revelstoke for about three hours.

RCMP search for missing dog

A woman was hospitalized for hypothermia after searching for her dog in freezing cold water near the Illecillewaet Greenbelt on Wednesday.

RCMP say that at around 11 a.m. they received a call of a woman in distress. She had been out walking on the greenbelt with her dog — a nine year old American bulldog — when the dog ran off into the water.

The woman ran into the river to look for her dog and began experiencing hypothermia as a result. She went to the RCMP detachment to get help and was taken to Queen Victoria Hospital for treatment and later released.

RCMP searched the area for about an hour trying to find the missing dog. It was later found by a local resident and reunited with its owners.

"The Revelstoke RCMP wish to thank the citizen who located the dog and are appreciative for his assistance," said Staff-Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky in a news release.