RCMP officers ‘lucky to be alive’ after crash with suspected drunk driver

Two Manitoba RCMP officers say they’re lucky to be alive after a run-in with a suspected drunk driver.

It was a Friday night in late September in Steinbach, Man., and a typical shift for Cpl. Kyle McFadyen and his partner Const. Rob French.

“I said, ‘Let’s go get an impaired driver’ with confidence, because it doesn’t take a lot of work most times,” said McFadyen.

The officers began patrolling the back gravel roads near Steinbach.

“We decided to take some back roads,” said McFadyen, “go past the golf courses because we have some problems there as well.”

It didn’t take long for them to find a drunk driver, or rather, for a drunk driver to find them, they allege.

As they approached an intersection, McFadyen, who was driving, saw another vehicle coming and sensed the driver wasn’t going to pay attention to the stop sign in front of him.

“I knew right away he was going highway speed, 80 to 100 kilometres an hour,” McFadyen said.

The vehicle ran the stop sign and slammed into the side of the cruiser.

“I didn’t have a whole lot of time,” said McFadyen, “but I managed to get something out to my partner to brace for the collision.”

“I can’t recall exactly what Cpl. McFadyen said, but I braced for impact and knew we were going to be in a collision,” said French.

The impact was direct and so powerful, it sent the officers’ car spinning out of control, eventually landing in a ditch. Pieces of the car are still scattered at the scene.

Immediately the officers called for backup and several ambulances, knowing they were injured.

“I remember saying to him, ‘Are you OK?’ ” said McFadyen. “He said, ‘I think so’ or ‘Yes.’ Whatever he said, it gave me reassurance that he could respond back to me.”

Despite being injured, the officers jumped out of their car and ran to the roadway to help the four people inside the car that hit them.

“I could hear screams from the other vehicle, I don’t know what it was but it was certainly emotional from the accident.”

Immediately McFadyen suspected alcohol was involved. He said he could smell it and alleged the driver was threatening him rather than accepting his help.

“I didn’t expect the hostility from the driver that I got,” said McFadyen.

Once emergency crews arrived, the driver was arrested for impaired driving.

The two officers and the passengers from the other car were taken to hospital with minor injures.

Anna Field, a resident who lives near the crash scene, said she heard the commotion and is shocked and frustrated that people continue to drink and drive.

“It could have been a family,” said Field, “it could have been us, it could have been someone we knew.”

Both McFadyen and French count their blessings.

“We’re lucky to be alive,” said French, who realizes the risks he takes daily as a police officer.

McFadyen returned to patrol duties several days after the crash and stopped at the compound near Steinbach to see his damaged cruiser.

“It reminds me of why I do what I do and the importance of being out there,” said McFadyen.

Cameron Kostash, 24, of Richer, Man., was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, impaired driving, uttering threats to kill police and resisting arrest.

Kostash has previous convictions for uttering threats and assaulting a peace officer. He is being held at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.