A woman suspected of driving while impaired is lucky to be alive after she crashed into a ditch and rolled her vehicle early Tuesday morning, say Saanich Police.
At around 2 a.m., police officers, members of the Saanich Fire Department and paramedics responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 4400-block of Blenkinsop Road.
Video provided to CHEK News shows an older-model Toyota Matrix upside down on the side of the road.
Sgt. Damian Kowalewich, acting media spokesperson for the Saanich Police Department, said the driver of the vehicle was a middle-aged female from Greater Victoria. He said she was first assessed by officers for injuries and then investigated for suspected impaired driving.
“She was investigated for impaired and was found to have been consuming alcohol prior to operating the motor vehicle,” said Kowalewich. “She was issued an immediate roadside prohibition and her vehicle was towed.”
The woman was also issued an immediate driving ban, according to Kowalewich. He also said the woman was taken to hospital for an assessment but is unclear as to the extent of her injuries.
“She was able to communicate with emergency personnel and she was able to talk,” said Kowalewich. “So, that is a good thing.”
The crash resulted in the 4400-block of Blenkinsop Road being closed for well over an hour as crews cleared the scene.
Kowalewich said while it isn’t clear whether the vehicle hit the ditch and went airborne, what is clear is that the vehicle rolled over and that the woman is lucky she or anyone else wasn’t seriously hurt or killed.
“She is lucky to be alive,” he said. “When you crash a car and roll it, it is a big deal.”
Nicholas Pescod
