Sask. ER nurse details gruesome consequences of impaired driving

REGINA – “I’ve seen patients with limbs missing.”

Emergency room nurse Sarah Poole wants people to know the gruesome consequences of impaired driving.

“(I’ve seen) limbs being brought in on ice to be reattached, people being rushed to the OR, and people needing massive blood transfusions,” continued Poole, who is a 10-year emergency room veteran at Regina General Hospital.

She is making her views known as police in Saskatchewan get ready to crackdown further on impaired driving during May’s traffic safety blitz.

The statistics are sobering. In 2013, 40 people were killed and 606 injured in alcohol- and drug-related crashes in the province.

“People think they’re invincible. They never think it’s going to happen to them, until it happens to them and then it’s horrific,” said Poole.

“If something happens, you’ll be living with that regret forever – it’s something that will never go away.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If something happens, you'll be living with that regret forever - it's something that will never go away."

Tougher penalties came into effect last June including longer licence suspensions, immediate roadside suspensions and stiffer fines.

READ MORE: What you need to know about new Saskatchewan traffic laws

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) officials say the best bet is to plan a safe trip home by choosing a designated driver, taking a taxi, using a safe ride service, jumping on the bus or having someone pick you up.

Anyone spotting a suspected impaired driver is encouraged to call 911 or report them through the report impaired drivers (RID) program.