Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for June 8 to 15:
On June 12, police attended a two-vehicle incident at the intersection of Highway 101 and Norwest Bay Road, Sechelt, after the first vehicle, coming down Norwest Bay Road at high speed, attempted to make a right turn at the highway but failed and struck the driver’s side front of the second vehicle, which was stopped in the eastbound lane at the red light. Both vehicles sustained significant damage and had to be towed from the scene.
The driver and passenger of the second vehicle sustained minor injuries. The driver and the passenger of the first vehicle sustained more serious injuries and the passenger was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital for treatment.
The driver of the first vehicle, who was not impaired, advised that halfway down the hill, the brakes failed to engage. The driver attempted to use the emergency brake as well to try to slow the vehicle, but the vehicle continued on, and with no way to stop, the driver tried to make the right turn onto the highway rather than potentially going over the embankment straight ahead.
The matter has been referred to ICBC.
CERB Fraud
• On June 11, a Coast resident reported a fraud after applying for CERB funds only to learn that someone in another province claiming to be him had already applied and received CERB funds. It appears the suspect used the resident’s social insurance number to steal his identity and has been claiming other benefits. Police remind the public to keep their SIN cards safely stored at home and to never give out their SIN unless they are certain it is for legitimate purposes. To learn more about identity theft and other common frauds, please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org/
Breakfast for Bears
• Early on June 12, police witnessed a bear tearing into a full garbage can left out at an address in the 5100 block of Highway 101. The bear was strewing the garbage across the highway and getting in the way of traffic. Police contacted the homeowner and directed him to clean up the garbage and to not put out his garbage overnight as it was an attractant to bears and other wildlife, and could lead to fines. To learn more about how to be Bear Aware, please visit sites such as the BC Conservation Foundation’s Wild Safe BC at wildsafebc.com/black-bear/
Impaired Collision
• On June 9, a two-vehicle incident occurred at the BC Ferries terminal in Horseshoe Bay after the suspect vehicle reversed twice into a parked car while in line for the ferry. Police met the ferry in Langdale and located the suspect driver asleep in her vehicle. The unlicensed driver, who advised that she’d taken some medication before driving, was taken by Emergency Health Services to Sechelt Hospital for assessment. The owner of the parked car reported some possible damage from the low-speed collisions. Police issued the suspect driver a 24-hour driving prohibition and violation tickets are pending. The file is still under investigation.
Hit and Run
• On June 11, a hit and run occurred in a parking lot in the 5600 block of Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt. The driver who struck the empty parked vehicle, causing some minor body damage, did not leave a note for the other vehicle’s driver. A witness did leave a note with a licence plate number but the info appears incorrect and as the witness did not leave a phone number, police were unable to call for more details. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file 2020-3707.
Theft
• Sometime between April 20 and June 12, a suspect removed catalytic converters off a number of vehicles parked at a business in the 5800 block of Sechelt Inlet Road, Sechelt. Anyone with any information about any of these thefts is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file number 2020-3728.
• In the early afternoon of June 13, while the owners were on a short hike, a suspect cut off and stole catalytic converters from three vehicles that had been parked at Dan Bosch Park in the 15400 block of Highway 101, Madeira Park. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file 2020-3758.
Impaired Driving
• On June 13, a witness reported a driver and passenger drinking what appeared to be alcohol while on the ferry from Powell River to Earls Cove. The witness provided vehicle and driver descriptions and police located the suspect vehicle southbound on the highway near Menacher Road, Madeira Park. The driver, who advised she’d consumed alcohol earlier in the day, was given a roadside alcohol screening test. After two “warn” results, the driver was issued a three-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition and her vehicle was impounded for three days. The matter has been referred to RoadSafetyBC.
Impaired Collision
• On June 14, witnesses reported a single-vehicle incident in the 1700 block of Port Mellon Highway, Langdale, after a vehicle was seen in a ditch with the driver standing outside the vehicle. The driver, who appeared intoxicated, fled on foot before police arrival. Police noted unopened cans of alcohol inside the front seat of the vehicle, along with personal belongings and identification for the driver. The vehicle was towed and police are attempting to locate the driver. The file is still under investigation.
Mischief
• Overnight on June 13, a suspect smashed a window of a vehicle parked in the 140 block of 9th Street, Gibsons. It is not known what the suspect used to break the window and no other damage or theft was reported.
– Const. Karen Whitby, Sunshine Coast RCMP
