A 15-year-old girl from Sechelt is facing a host of charges — including an impaired driving charge — following what could have been a serious accident in Hackett Park last Friday night.
At 6:45 p.m. on Friday, July 25, Sunshine Coast RCMP and paramedics were called to Hackett Park after a minivan crashed through a set of bleachers.
According to Const. Harrison Mohr, remarkably, there were no reports of injuries to any of the spectators on or around the bleachers, who were watching a baseball game at the time.
“After speaking with witnesses, police determined that a 15-year-old girl from Sechelt had been driving, and had a 17-year-old female passenger,” Mohr said.
“It appears the driver had been turning onto Dolphin Street from Ocean Avenue, and may have lost control when she swerved to avoid a cyclist. The driver, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, failed a roadside breath test, and was arrested for impaired driving.
“This is obviously an alarming incident for several reasons. This girl was not only too young to be driving in the first place, but for her to get behind the wheel while she was intoxicated was a very dangerous choice to make. It is amazing that no one was hurt or killed.”
Police want to thank the witnesses who came forward, as their statements were crucial in helping police to identify the driver.
The driver was released to her father, and is facing charges of impaired driving, failing to provide a breath sample, and mischief under $5,000. She also received a ticket for driving without a driver’s licence.
