Labour Day long weekend leads to three arrests for impaired driving

Taylor Clark

A police officer was left with minor injuries after a 61-year-old man from Gatineau rear-ended a patrol vehicle in the early hours of Labour Day.

Gatineau police were called to assist the Gatineau Fire Department at the scene of a vehicle fire on Autoroute Guy-Lafleur around 2:30 am. While flashing its lights to warn motorists to reduce their speed, the stationary police vehicle was struck from the rear.

The officer inside the vehicle at the time of the impact was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but only suffered minor injuries from the incident. The driver of the car that collided with the police cruiser was not injured.

The 61-year-old was arrested at the scene for impaired driving. Tests at the police station revealed a level of more than twice the legal limit. The vehicle was seized for 30 days, and the man’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days.

Police reported two other collisions over the weekend, which also resulted in impaired driving charges.

Officers attended the scene of a single-vehicle collision with a streetlight at the intersection of Maloney Boulevard East and Pélissier Street shortly after midnight on August 31. The driver was alone in the vehicle and was arrested at the scene after police observed signs of alcohol intoxication. Tests showed the 27-year-old man had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. His driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was impounded.

Hours later, police returned to Maloney Boulevard East, in response to a call concerning a collision between a vehicle and a traffic light. At the scene, officers discovered the occupants of the vehicle had fled, but they were quickly located. The driver, a 48-year-old man from Gatineau, was arrested for impaired driving and hit-and-run charges. Tests revealed a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. The vehicle was seized for 30 days, and the man’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days.