The Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit (ITU) nabbed four drivers suspected of impaired driving in four separate incidents on Highway 2 on Saturday, September 29. Two of the drivers are from Airdrie. Impaired driving continues to be the leading criminal cause of death in Canada. As a result, apprehending impaired drivers is one of the top six priorities of Alberta’s Integrated Traffic Units.

  • The first incident occurred at 6 pm. Officers got a complaint about a silver BMW driving erratically on southbound Highway 2 near Didsbury. The driver showed signs of being impaired by alcohol and was arrested.  A 25 year-old man from Airdrie was charged with two impaired driving-related offences and is scheduled to appear in Airdrie Provincial Court on November 15.
  • Soon after, at 7:03 pm, Airdrie ITU got a 911 call about a brown Dodge truck that was traveling southbound on Highway 2, this time near Crossfield. Witnesses reported the vehicle was swerving all over the road. When officers intercepted the vehicle, they discovered that the driver, a 37 year-old man from Airdrie, seemed to be impaired by alcohol. Impaired driving-related charges are currently pending.
  • Then at 10:10 pm, ITU officers were again dispatched to a 911 call about a possibly intoxicated driver. This time, the driver was heading southbound in a silver Ford F-150 truck on Highway 2 near Didsbury. The driver, a 31 year-old woman from Breton has been charged with two impaired driving offences. She'll appear in Airdrie Provincial Court on October 25.
  • Finally, Airdrie ITU officers were called further south on Highway 2 near the Olds overpass around 11 pm. A red GMC Terrain had been rear ended by a blue GMC truck, causing the Terrain to leave the highway and roll. The driver of the GMC truck then fled the scene in his vehicle. An Airdrie ITU officer located the truck and took the driver into custody. Impaired driving-related charges are currently pending against the 46-year old man from Brooks. There were three occupants in the GMC Terrain at the time of the collision but none of them were seriously hurt.

Sheriff Jason Graw, with the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit commented on these incidents:

“Locating four suspected impaired drivers in the span of about five hours is certainly concerning for us. It means that there are still people out there who are not getting the message about drinking and driving. On the other hand, the fact that we apprehended them all successfully shows that the system works. Call 911 if you see a driver that you think is impaired, and our officers will do their best to track the vehicle down and investigate.”

“We believe that each and every suspected impaired driver we remove from our roadways contributes to making our communities a safer place. We continue to encourage all motorists to report suspected impaired drivers to 911 to help us achieve our goals of reducing impaired driving-related collisions.”

Graw says that all four drivers had their vehicles seized for the mandatory three days, and their licenses will be limited until their charges are dealt with.