A motorcyclist was lucky to walk away from a collision where he was thrown from his bike.
“The driver of the motorcycle wasn’t seriously injured, but at the time, it was thought that he may have been,” described Bonnyville RCMP Sgt. Kim Hillier.
On Aug. 1, a driver was making a left-hand turn in their car when a motorcyclist went to pass, "running into the vehicle."
"He ended up in the bushes. It was feared that he was much worse off than he was," Hillier detailed.
RCMP and EMS responded, and the motorcycle driver was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Hillier noted this is a reminder that both vehicle and motorcycle drivers are responsible for keeping their wits about them when on the road.
"It's not just car or truck drivers that have to pay attention, the driver of the motorcycle has to pay attention too... You have to be super aware of what's going on around you."
Arrested on warrants
A 45-year-old Edmonton female was arrested on July 20 on warrants out of Edmonton.
A Bonnyville member was conducting a traffic stop around 3:20 p.m. when the female driver of the vehicle was found to have warrants.
Hillier said she was also issued violation tickets and warnings for failing to obey a stop sign.
Officers keeping an eye out
At 9 p.m. on July 29, police spotted a 60-year-old Bonnyville male known to police driving a red vehicle.
According to Hillier, the male was known to be suspended from driving.
“Members made patrols and later located the male. He was arrested for an outstanding warrant and driving while suspended,” she explained. “It was the result of our members being diligent and on the lookout for known offenders in our area that led to this quick arrest."
A handyman without his tools
“We had a report from a male (on July 29) in Bonnyville that a property he was working on, Squires Court apartment buildings, had been broken into," Hillier outlined.
The male reported his tools were stolen overnight from building B of the apartment complex.
“Our members attended and spoke to the property manager. We’re asking the public, if anyone saw anything on the evening of July 28-29 in the area of Squires Court building B… If they could let us know, that would be greatly appreciated because that investigation is ongoing," said Hillier.
She added, anyone who is approached from someone selling tools is encouraged to contact the detachment at 780-343-7200.
Driving high
A 35-year-old Lac La Biche male was driving strangely, which caught the attention of local RCMP.
On July 29, a constable was on-scene for an unrelated matter when he observed a male driving oddly.
"He approached the male and conducted a traffic stop, where he was able to smell cannabis. Standardized Field Sobriety Testing was completed and the male failed the testing," Hillier explained. “He was arrested for impaired operation and we made use of a drug recognition expert to conduct an exam on the male.”
An investigation is ongoing into the incident, and charges are pending.
Three times the limit doesn't go unnoticed
A tip from the public helped police locate an impaired driver operating at over three times the legal limit.
At 9 p.m. on July 30, officers received a call about a possible impaired driver.
What was strange, Hillier said, was the vehicle was an industrial truck.
"It was swerving all over the road and almost hitting oncoming vehicles," she added.
“One of our constables attended and located an oilfield truck parked across Hwy. 55 after coming out of the ditch."
The 25-year-old St. Paul driver was arrested and brought back to the detachment where he provided samples of 260-milligrams of alcohol per 100-millilitres of blood.
“We would like to thank the public for making that call, because it was north of town on Hwy. 55. It’s where you will often see heavy-duty industrial vehicles. It’s an unusual situation, thankfully, but we’re glad someone noted that it was poor driving and possibly impaired that led to the arrest,” stated Hillier.
Distracted driving month
Police will be on the look out for distracted drivers throughout August.
“This month is our distracted driving month, so we have some special initiatives set-up for distracted driving," expressed Hillier.
“These things cause accidents and we know it. We will be out on the roads. It’s something we watch for all of the time, but this month, we will have specific traffic initiatives to work on that,” she continued.
Distracted driving includes anything that takes your attention away from the road.
"Some of the things that are actually laid out in the statutes include holding the handheld, manipulating a cell phone, radio, communication devices, viewing DVD players while driving, utilizing your GPS, dispatch system, display an active screen, and reading or viewing printed material,” outlined Hillier. “Doing your makeup is a no, and reading a book while your driving is also a no.”
She added, “That does happen. I’ve heard of someone getting a ticket while reading a novel on top of their steering wheel while they were driving."
