A 21-year-old Albertan man is facing charges after allegedly driving drunk and assaulting a police officer.
Police say the suspected impaired driver was stopped by police as a result of an erratic driving complaint. Once pulled over he allegedly assaulted an RCMP officer before he fled on foot early Sunday morning.
On Feb.19 at 12:22 a.m,, Kelowna RCMP officers responded to a report of an erratic driver, seen swerving all over the roadway, along Highway 97 between McCurdy Road and Highway 33.
An officer attended the area to conduct patrols and spotted the reported black Ford F150 pickup truck in the area.
After pulling the driver over, the officer entered into an impaired-driving investigation after the driver displayed notable signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication.
Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says while the officer was demanding a breath sample, the man pushed past the officer and fled on foot.
Additional officers arrived in the area and quickly located the driver who was taken into police custody without further incident.
“We are grateful that our officer was not injured during this incident,” says O’Donaghey.
“Kelowna RCMP would also like to commend their complainant for not only recognizing the potential hazard the erratic driver posed to other motorists on the highway, but also for immediately passing that information along to police.”
The driver, a 21-year-old Alberta man, faces both driving prohibitions and fines under the BC Motor Vehicle Act and potential criminal charges as a result.
He is expected to appear at the Kelowna Law Courts on May 8, 2017.
Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.