The Burnaby RCMP is highlighting a series of recent dangerous incidents on the road as it urges people to stay safe behind the wheel heading into the holidays.
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, if you are on the road, be safe,” Cpl. Mike Kalanj said. “Don’t drive impaired, whether it’s alcohol or drugs.
“Slow down, make sure you get where you are going. It’s not about you, it’s about everyone on the road and all the families that are involved.”
Burnaby Mounties said they responded to two serious crashes in the last week alone, one on Boundary Road that left two people dead, and another that left a pedestrian in critical condition.
Between Thursday and Friday, Kalanj said officers pulled nine allegedly impaired drivers off the road.
On Nov. 27, Kalanj said an officer was hurt while responding to a hit and run and being struck by another vehicle on Highway 1.
“Just before he was going to get out of his car, he got hit from behind by a pickup truck going highway speeds,” he said.
“It didn’t look like the truck even attempted to slow down.”
And a few days before that, police busted an allegedly impaired driver going the wrong way on Royal Oak Avenue.
The driver was handed a roadside prohibition and had their vehicle impounded.
“Our criminal collision investigation team is being overworked right now, and we just started the Christmas, winter break,” Kalanj said.
“It’s getting a little chaotic out there.”
Kalanj reminded anyone getting behind the wheel that officers are now out in force conducting impaired driving enforcement.
According to data from ICBC, on average, 61 people are killed and 1,404 are injured in impaired driving-related crashes in B.C. every year.