Sunshine Coast RCMP are thanking members of the public for taking the keys from the driver of a tanker truck last week after his rig jack-knifed on Ocean Avenue at Windward Lane in Sechelt.
Police were called to the scene shortly before 11 p.m. on Sept. 28 to find the tanker had become stuck on the road after it jack-knifed.
“Some concerned citizens saw what was happening and took away the driver’s keys to prevent him from being able to drive any further,” RCMP said in a release.
The officer who spoke to the driver noticed the smell of liquor on his breath and a breath sample was taken, registering a fail reading.
“The 52-year-old male driver from Coquitlam was subsequently detained for an impaired driving investigation and taken to the Sechelt RCMP detachment, where further breath testing indicated that the male had blood alcohol levels in excess of the legal limit,” the release said.
The man was given a driving prohibition and released on a promise to appear in court.
“While any impaired driver poses a danger on our roadways, the risk increases significantly when an impaired driver is behind the wheel of such a massive vehicle,” said Const. Harrison Mohr with Sunshine Coast RCMP.
“It is very fortunate that no one was injured in this case. We would like to thank the members of the public who intervened to ensure that the driver could not try to drive any further.”
A driver from the same trucking company was able to free the truck and drive it away the next day.
