West Vancouver police say a Delta, B.C. man has been charged with impaired driving after he was found under the influence behind the wheel of a bus carrying 35 passengers from Whistler to Vancouver.
According to a Nov. 17 news release, 65-year-old Craig Randle was charged on Oct. 25 with one count of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or a drug, and another count of operation with a blood alcohol concentration equal to or over the legal limit.
The charges stem from an evening bus trip on Aug. 5 of this year, when, just before 9:30 p.m., one of 35 passengers aboard a commercial bus bound for Vancouver contacted West Vancouver Police to report that its driver was driving erratically and appeared to be intoxicated.
West Vancouver Police said patrol members stopped the bus in the 1300 block of the Trans Canada Highway, near the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, and detained its driver, before bringing the man back to the police department to provide breath samples. The results of those samples led police to recommend impaired driving charges.
“The West Vancouver Police continue targeted enforcement against impaired drivers” said West Van P.D. Cst. Nicole Braithwaite in the release. “In this case, we are fortunate that an alert citizen notified us to this serious public safety risk. That, combined with the quick action of our officers, resulted in the bus being stopped before a serious incident could occur”.
Police remind anyone who witnesses or suspects a motorist of driving while impaired to call 911 immediately.
