Impaired driving penalties handed down after TCH bridge collision

By Medicine Hat News on May 19, 2021.

A two-vehicle collision on the Trans-Canada bridge Monday evening has resulted in an impaired driving fine and licence suspension against one of the drivers.

MHPS Sgt. Gerald Sadlemyer says the collision occurred just before 8 p.m. when a driver traveling east on the Trans-Canada made a sudden and illegal u-turn and began heading westbound in the eastbound lane.

A head-on collision occurred when the driver of the Hyundai Elantra driving the wrong way struck a Ford Flex.

A roadside test for alcohol for the driver of the Elantra produced a fail result.

Under the province’s new impaired driving laws, the driver of the vehicle will have the car impounded for 30 days, be required to pay the daily storage fee, have an automatic suspended licence and receive an automatic $1,000 fine.

Impaired tickets can still be challenged but are now done so through an administrative process rather than in criminal court.

No serious injuries were reported in the collision.

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