A British Columbia man is believed to have set a record for the most impaired driving convictions in Canada, according to police.
In a social media post Friday, the Abbotsford Police Department said a 66-year-old man recently pleaded guilty to impaired driving – among other charges – marking his 21st conviction for impaired driving.
Police say they believe his guilty plea set “the single most conviction for impaired driving offences someone has received in Canadian history.”
The driver, Roy Heide, pleaded guilty to impaired driving, driving while prohibited and driving while disqualified on Dec. 18 for a crash that occurred in August 2022.
He was also sentenced to four years and 354 days in jail for the convictions, according to AbbyPD.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Aug. 15, 2022, when Heide was identified as the driver of a motorcycle that crashed in the 1800-block of Clearbrook Road, leaving his passenger with serious injuries.
Police say Heide then attempted to flee the crash but was found soon after by officers.
Officers conducted an impaired driving investigation at the scene, and found his blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
“Impaired driving can have devastating consequences to innocent road users as a result of an impaired driver’s decision to drive impaired,” said Abbotsford police Sgt. Paul Walker in a statement Friday.
“Our frontline officers continue to be out enforcing impaired driving laws and taking a zero-tolerance approach to driving while impaired. We continue encouraging our community to report possible impaired drivers to the police,” he said.
SEE ALSO: VicPD reminding drivers to plan safe ride home during holidays following impaired driver arrest
🛑 21% of all car crash fatalities in B.C. involve impaired driving. Police are looking for impaired drivers at CounterAttack roadchecks this holiday season.
If your plans involve alcohol/other drugs, plan a safe ride home. #GetHomeSafeBC @icbc https://t.co/x7k0E4kVl5 pic.twitter.com/74CW58wibK
— Abbotsford Police Department (@AbbyPoliceDept) December 23, 2023
Adam Chan
