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Suspected drunk driver slams into car stopped at roadblock

Abbotsford Police on the scene estimated the car was travelling at 100 km/h.
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Impaired driving charges will likely be recommended against a man who drove into the back of a car stopped at a CounterAttack roadblock in Abbotsford on Saturday night.

Const. Ian MacDonald said police are compiling the report that will be sent to Crown counsel for charge approval, and it could be a few weeks before a decision is made.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old man has lost his driver's licence.

The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. on Riverside Street near King Road, about 90 minutes after the roadblock had been set up.

MacDonald said about 140 cars had already gone through the area, which was well marked with pylons and lighting.

He said the scene could be spotted from a distance, and some drivers had even made U-turns to avoid the roadblock.

Police were talking to a group of four young women in a 2008 Volvo when the driver of a 1992 Toyota 4Runner plowed into the back of them at an estimated speed of 100 km/h.

MacDonald said the five officers on the scene had to jump out of the way of the SUV and narrowly missed being hit.

The women in the Volvo were all wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash and were not seriously injured.

The man driving the SUV was the lone occupant of the vehicle, and was taken into custody at the scene. He has since been released on police documents.

MacDonald said the driver has no prior record for impaired driving, although he has "one or two" charges related to being drunk in public.

MacDonald said police will likely recommend two separate charges – impaired driving and driving with a blood-alcohol level of over .08.

A conviction on a first offence for either of these charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of a $1,000 fine and a driving ban of between one and three years.

 



Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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