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Innisfail Mountie in hospital after alleged drunk driver hits cruiser on QEII

File photo of an RCMP vehicle. Global News

A central Alberta RCMP officer is recovering in hospital after their cruiser, which was parked on the side of Alberta’s busiest major highway, was hit by an alleged drunk driver late Thursday night.

The crash on Highway 2 happened around 11:30 near Innisfail, which is between Red Deer and Calgary.

RCMP said a traffic services officer was investigating an unrelated collision on the QEII, just south of Innisfail, and had returned to his police cruiser parked on the side of the road to complete some paperwork.

That’s when a white, Ford Explorer SUV police said was going highway speeds collided with the stationary RCMP vehicle, causing significant damage.

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The speed limit on the QEII is 110 km/h.

RCMP arrested the woman driving the Explorer, whom they believed to be drunk. Police said the woman provided breath samples showing she was nearly double the legal limit of alcohol.

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The injured RCMP member was taken to hospital by EMS with non-life threatening injuries. On Friday he remained in hospital for testing and treatment.

A 26-year-old woman from Edmonton is facing charges of impaired operation causing bodily harm and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.

She’s been released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Red Deer courthouse on March 31.

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