RM of West St. Paul, Manitoba – On April 16, 2023, at approximately 10:15 pm, Red River North RCMP received two 911 calls about a vehicle driving erratically on Highway 8, near Highway 27 in the RM of West St. Paul. It was reported that the vehicle almost side-swiped other vehicles. Police patrolled the area and were able to locate the vehicle. An officer saw the vehicle driving erratically and initiated a traffic stop on Old McPhillips Road.
The female driver and her female front-seat passenger, both 21 years of age from Winnipeg, were heavily intoxicated. Open liquor was located in the vehicle.
Three children were passengers in the backseat: a six-month old male, a two-year-old male, and a three-year-old female. The six-month old was properly restrained, the two-year-old was in an unsafe booster seat, and the three-year-old was not belted in at all. Officers contacted representatives to come and get the children and take them to a safe environment.
Through investigation, the driver was determined to have a blood alcohol concentration of nearly two and half times the legal limit. She was arrested for the Criminal Code offence of Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle. She is also charged under the Highway Traffic Act for not using a proper child restraining device x2, for driving without an able supervising driver while holding a class 1A to 5A licence, and unlawfully transporting liquor in a motor vehicle. She has been released with a court date and will not be identified to protect the identity of the children involved.
“This could have had a horrible outcome,” said Sgt. Chris Lambert of Red River North RCMP. “The lives of three young children were endangered as well as the lives of other innocent people on the roadway. We commend the two individuals who called in when they saw an erratic driver and encourage anyone who sees dangerous driving to call police so we can respond and get a dangerous driver off the road.”
Red River North RCMP
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