Alaskan man, 78, grounded for seven days in Fort Nelson

A 78-year-old Sterling, AK, man will spending an unexpected extra few days in Fort Nelson after having his 2008 Ford Focus impounded last Wednesday at KM 419 of the Alaska Highway. While police were conducting traffic enforcement in this general area they observed the Alaska bound vehicle travelling at 156 kms in the posted 100 km zone. Police stopped the vehicle, issued the driver with a $368 speeding ticket, and impounded his vehicle for seven days.
Look Ma, no driver!
Police received a rather unusual call last Thursday afternoon when it was reported a small silver car without a driver was driving itself around the Overwaitea parking lot. Police attended and located the driverless 2012 Hyundai Elantra that had rolled approx 30 metres across the parking lot before coming to rest.
Apparently the manual transmission vehicle had been left in neutral without the emergency brake applied and unbeknownst to the driver when they got out of the vehicle it began its journey rolling across the parking lot without hitting anything.
You only get one warning…
The second time is ticket time and that’s exactly what happened this past Friday evening at 11:47 p.m. after a neighbour on 40th Street complained that one of their neighbours was hosting a rather large and very noisy party. Police attended the residence in question and spoke to the 30-year-old woman responsible for the party. Police advised they had received a complaint about the noise and they would have to turn the volume down a bit or face the possibility of being issued a noise bylaw ticket. Police were assured by the woman that they would quiet things down. Just over an hour later police received another call that the party was still in progress with party revellers yelling and making lots of noise. Police re-attended the residence and this time issued the woman with a $100 bylaw ticket for the excessive noise.
He had quite a buzz
With the arrival of the warm sunny weather over the weekend the community’s recreational areas were abuzz with activity, particularly Art Fraser park.
Shortly after 1:00 p.m. police received a report that an intoxicated male had been located sleeping in one of the ball field dugouts. Police attended Art Fraser park where they discovered one of their most frequent clients who was extremely intoxicated fast asleep in the dugout. After some prodding police managed to wake the 59-year-old man, removed him from the dugout, and hustled him off to jail so the space could be used for those folks wishing to play some ball.
Discretion should always be foremost in your mind if you plan on drinking and driving, however most impaired drivers are not very discreet, thus the reason they frequently get caught committing their crimes. A prime example would be this past Friday afternoon when police observed a green 2011 Chevrolet Silverado rapidly overtaking a large garbage truck in the 70 km zone at KM 301. Police activated the radar unit in the police vehicle and noted the truck was travelling at a rather hasty 117 kms in the posted 70 km zone. Police stopped the vehicle and upon speaking with the 53-year-old Fort Nelson man driving quickly determined he appeared to be intoxicated and in no condition to be driving.

After failing two roadside breath tests police issued the man with a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition from driving, and impounded his vehicle for 30 days.
It would appear a small hardcore group of our local youths who hang out at the skateboard park believe they are untouchable and can do exactly as they please and say what they want to anybody from behind the chain link fence of the skateboard park. This has been evidenced by several complaints the police have received over the last month about excessive noise, use of foul language, drinking, drug usage, and fighting at the skateboard park. The most disturbing aspect of these complaints is some youth’s response to the arrival of the police investigating these complaints. A small number of youths are outright hostile, uncooperative, and mouthy towards police directing foul remarks at the attending police officers. This past Friday evening police attended the skateboard park in response to a complaint of a fight. When police attended they were confronted by several uncooperative, rude, and mouthy youths who appeared to genuinely enjoy exhibiting this type of behaviour towards police.
In response to the recent problems at the skateboard park police will be stepping up their presence in the area and will begin conducting foot patrols through the skateboard park to curb this behaviour as well as looking for the presence of liquor and other illegal substances.
Just over three hours later police were dealing with some other very rude and ill behaved individuals. Friday evening police were called to attend the BCAS building next to the hospital when it was reported two male individuals were outside the building yelling and swearing at the BCAS personnel inside.
When police arrived they were advised by BCAS personnel the two males were upset that BCAS personnel could not assist their apparently injured friend until they were officially dispatched to assist. Police spoke to the two individuals and warned them to behave and move along or risk being arrested and going to jail. Less than 20 minutes later while police were at the hospital assisting BCAS personnel with the injured man the two intoxicated males who police had dealt with earlier showed up, both in very surly moods attempting to push their way past police to get closer to their injured friend. When police attempted to prevent them from reaching their friend one of the men, a 23-year-old from Fort Nelson, lunged at one of police officers in an effort to hit him. After a brief struggle the two police officers present took the man to the floor where he was handcuffed and arrested. The 23-year-old man continued to be very verbally abusive and disruptive all the way to the police office where he was lodged into jail where charges of Causing a Disturbance and Obstruction will be sought.
Some good folks do heed the warning about excessive noise saving themselves a $100 fine. Friday night shortly after 11:00 p.m. police were called to a residence on 41st street where it was reported a large noisy party was underway. The complainant asked police if they could run by and ask the party crowd to quiet down a bit. Police attended the residence and spoke to the 33-year-old party host. They requested he turn the music down so as not to further disturb his neighbours and become the recipient of a $100 noise bylaw ticket. Police departed and did not receive any further complaints about excessive noise.
Last week was a busy week for complaints, 13 to be exact from the public about the dangerous operation of off road vehicles throughout the community. Saturday night at 11:55 p.m. police received a surprise when they observed a dirt bike travelling westbound along 50th Avenue South in excess of 100 kms per hour. Police watched as the rider suddenly lost control of the bike, laying it down in the intersection where 50th Avenue South crosses 49th Street. The motorcycle rider quickly picked the motorcycle up and pushed it over to a nearby residence where he concealed the bike before fleeing on foot.
Patience is a virtue, and it was in this case as police remained nearby watching the motorcycle. Twenty minutes later the mystery motorcycle rider re-appeared complete with bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts to retrieve his motorcycle. Police immediately confronted the motorcycle rider, determining alcohol appeared to have played a significant role in this bizarre display of driving. When asked about this, the 27-year-old Fort Nelson man readily admitted he had been drinking prior to this incident. After failing the roadside breath test police issued the man with a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition from driving, the tidy sum of $1,569 in traffic tickets and impounded the motorcycle for 30 days.

Staff Sergeant Tom Roy
Officer-in-Charge
Northern Rockies Detachment