A B.C. man has earned the dubious distinction of having what Abbotsford police believe to be the most convictions for impaired driving in Canadian history.
When Roy Heide was arrested after a motorcycle crash in August 2022, he was a prohibited driver in B.C. with a blood alcohol level over two times the legal limit, according to Abbotsford police.
The department said at the time, Heide had already amassed a stunning 19 impaired driving convictions in various Canadian provinces and another for impaired driving causing bodily harm stemming from a February 2001 collision in Nanaimo.
“Mr. Heide has definitely set the bar high in a way that we don’t want to see, we never want to see,” said Cst. Scott McClure with Abbotsford police.
Heide was charged with two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm in connection with the August 14, 2022 collision in the 1800-block of Clearbrook Road in Abbotsford, which injured his passenger.
One of the counts was stayed while the 66-year-old was found not guilty of the other – and instead convicted of impaired driving on Dec. 15 – for the 21st time.
“I don’t think that there’s anybody in this country that has had more convictions for impaired operation of a motor vehicle by alcohol than Roy has,” McClure told Global News in an interview.
Court records show Heide’s earliest B.C. impaired driving conviction was in Victoria in 1998, when he received two years less a day in jail followed by three years probation, a three-year criminal driving ban and a 25-year driving ban under the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA).
His latest conviction netted him a prison sentence of four years and 354 days, and a lifetime criminal driving prohibition.
Heide also has 14 convictions for driving while disqualified, 12 for failing to comply with court orders and seven for failing to appear in court.
Police said being a prohibited driver does not prevent a person from insuring a vehicle in their name with ICBC, and Heide was the registered owner of the motorcycle involved in the August 2022 crash.
“What Mr. Heide has done specifically is egregious,” said McClure. “It’s belligerent, it’s over the top and it paints a clear picture that there’s very little that will prevent him from physically operating a motor vehicle if we give him the opportunity to do so.”
“This is what takes innocent peoples’ lives.”
Markita Kaulius of Surrey lost her 22-year-old daughter Kassandra to a drunk driver in May 2011.
As president of Families for Justice, Kaulius continues to fight for tougher sentencing laws in Canada.
“This gentleman sadly thinks he’s above the law,” Kaulius said of Heide.
“In many cases, our laws are much too lax on impaired driving. It’s sad though that he’s made that choice to put everyone on the road at risk.”
Heide was open about his struggles with drinking in an Oct. 20, 2020 post on his Facebook account.
“I came through hell and high water, thought that I was the operator of everything and could do anything until one day I finally realized I have to listen, so I listen to people from A.A.(Alcoholics Anonymous) and realize that I was an alcoholic,” Heide wrote.
“The more I listen, the more cured I became and I’m probably glad to say that me and alcohol have had a serious divorce and never to have a relationship again,” he added – giving credit to the “happy hour group” in Mission.
Heide’s criminal history shows that an apparent breakup with alcohol didn’t last.
McClure said Heide has shown a “complete disregard not only for his own personal safety and the safety of his passengers – but the safety of the general public and for our court system and our judicial system.”