Saanich police arrest alleged impaired driver after he appears to pass out behind wheel

Saanich police arrest alleged impaired driver after he appears to pass out behind wheel
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Saanich police said since Jan. 1, 2019, they have been to more than 50 collisions. (Saanich Police Department).

Saanich police said since Jan. 1, 2019, they have been to more than 50 collisions. (Saanich Police Department).

A Saanich man was arrested this past weekend after he allegedly drove impaired and passed out at the wheel.

On Jan. 13, at around 10:40 a.m., Saanich police responded to a report of an impaired driver near the Trans-Canada Highway and McKenzie Avenue.

The SUV, which was a blue 2018 Audi Q5, had been swerving in traffic while going south on the Trans-Canada Highway. Police said the driver appeared to pass out while waiting for a red light at McKenzie Avenue. After several light changes, he woke up and turned onto McKenzie Avenue.

The driver then stopped for a red light at the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Burnside Road West when he appeared to pass out again. Once again after several light changes, he woke up and continued west on McKenzie Avenue.

Police stopped the SUV and spoke to the driver. The driver, a 54-year-old man from Saanich, was then arrested for impaired driving. He is facing charges of impaired driving and driving with a blood alcohol content over .08. He was released from custody and will appear in court in February.

Saanich police spoke with several witnesses but are looking to talk to anyone else who may have knocked on the drivers’ window when he was stopped in traffic. Witnesses can call police at 250-475-4321 and cite file 19-01067.

The Saanich Police Traffic Safety Unit is also looking for witnesses who saw a motorcycle driving in a dangerous manner on the Trans-Canada Highway on Jan. 12 at around 1:40 p.m. Police said they received several 911 calls about a motorcycle going 200 km/h, weaving through traffic and doing stunts, such as wheelies. Traffic officers saw the motorcycle a short time later, going north on Highway 17 and then going west on McKenzie Avenue. Police said the motorcycle rider saw the officers while on McKenzie Avenue then drove between the lanes of traffic to avoid being stopped.

The motorcycle is described as an orange, or red, racing style bike without a licence plate attached to it. Anyone who saw the motorcycle or has video of the incident is asked to call Saanich police and cite file 19-01002.

Since the beginning of 2019, the traffic safety unit has issued over 300 tickets, attended over 50 crashes and have conducted six impaired driving investigations. Police also said a few days ago, traffic officers stopped 22 vehicles on Highway 17 near Royal Oak Drive during a high-risk driving campaign. The vehicles were stopped for speeding in the 80 km/h zone.

Police said one vehicle was going 139 km/h. That driver received a $368 ticket and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.

Alexa HuffmanAlexa Huffman

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