Tire tracks in the snow show the path of a vehicle up to the front door of a Southeast Hill residence on the weekend after police say it was struck by an impaired driver.--News Photo
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A crash at a residential intersection Friday night sent one vehicle over a stop sign, up a sloped lawn and onto the front steps of a home.
Medicine Hat police say that officers, fire crews and ambulance were dispatched to the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 11th street on the Southeast Hill at about 8 p.m. on Dec. 13.
Police believe the driver of a vehicle travelling along the avenue failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a westbound vehicle which had the right of way.
Police issued an immediate roadside sanction for impaired driving to the responsible party. Both drivers sustained minor injuries.
Check stops in action
Two check stops over the weekend in Medicine Hat resulted in four tickets issued for impaired driving and two other tickets, authorities stated Monday morning.
A total of 875 vehicles were involved in the check stops held Dec. 13 and 14, the Medicine Hat Police Service said.
An additional 25 warnings were issued related to vehicle equipment and moving violations.
Police advise drivers who may have consumed alcohol or cannabis to plan alternate transportation.
Operational Insp. Jason Graham said that while four tickets is still not ideal, they were optimistic about the comparatively low number of impaired drivers, and added they were likely to be doing additional check stops over the Holiday Season.
He reminded the public that safe driving is more than driving impaired, but also making sure they’re equipped properly.
“One of the biggest thing right now is making sure that windshield wipers are adequate, and that people can see out of their windshields,” said Graham. “Since it’s been warm, it’s been a non-issue this weekend, but we often have issues with people not scraping their windows, thinking they can get from point A to point B without actually clearing off their windshields, and then all of a sudden they get into a fender bender.”
The Medicine Hat Police Service thanks the public for being friendly and co-operative during the check stops, and for doing their part to help everyone reach their destinations safely.
