If you're planning to party during long weekends to come, make sure you have a safe ride home.
That's the message from Coquitlam RCMP after an impaired driver had their vehicle impounded over Easter for excessively speeding along the Lougheed Highway.
Around 2:30 a.m. on April 17 — also Easter Sunday — traffic cops clocked a driver at 122 km/h at the intersection of Como Lake Avenue and Lougheed, which has a posted limit of 70 km/h.
After pulling them over, the officer then noticed alcohol on the driver's breath and confirmed the suspicion following an impaired investigation.
"There are numerous ways to get yourself home safe if you are going to be drinking, and putting yourself behind the wheel and driving is not one of them," explains Coquitlam RCMP spokesperson Const. Deanna Law.
"Not only are you putting others at risk, but you are putting your own life at risk as well. Plan a safe ride home."
The driver was issued an immediate roadside prohibition, a $398 violation ticket for excessive speeding and their vehicle was impounded.
According to RoadSafetyBC, a person's first roadside prohibition is three days for driving under the influence.
Three-time offenders or more could have their license taken away for as long as 90 days.
While no one was hurt from the incident, ICBC tallied 260 crashes at Como Lake and Lougheed between 2016 and 2020, according to the corporation's latest available data.
On average, 16 people die from crashes in the Lower Mainland when impaired driving was the main factor.
