Skip to content

Passed out at the pump: Fruitvale man fined $1,000 for driving infractions

Upon arrival, officers found a Fruitvale man, 34, and his passenger asleep ...
img_4932

Early Sunday morning, Trail RCMP officers responded to an early morning wake-up call in Warfield, which came with a twist.

Just before 7 a.m., a report came in about two people who appeared to be taking a nap inside their idling vehicle, while conveniently parked near the gas pumps at a business on Schofield Highway.

Upon arrival, officers found a Fruitvale man, 34, and his passenger asleep, seemingly unbothered by the rising sun or the noise of the running engine.

Waking the pair, according to police, was no small task.

After some persistence, the duo finally stirred, and one officer suspected that the driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle might have been influenced by a substance, possibly a drug.

Despite initial concerns, police report that the man passed a Standard Field Sobriety Test.

But the morning call didn’t end there.

According to police, a search of the vehicle revealed opened liquor, stolen licence plates, unstamped cigarettes, and drug paraphernalia.

Officers handed the man fines totalling over $1,000. These included penalties for no insurance ($598), missing a license plate ($109), a windshield that "impairs driver vision," and possession of opened liquor in a vehicle ($230).

“Officers thought maybe they saw the high gas prices and fainted," Sgt. Mike Wicentowich later quipped.

 



Sheri Regnier

About the Author: Sheri Regnier

Read more