By CHIEF ROB DUTTCHEN Corman Park Police Service
Hitchhiker Pulls Firearm on Good Samaritan
At about 3 a.m. on November 2, a motorist north of Osler stopped to pick up a person walking along the highway, intending to offer a ride. Once the passenger was in the vehicle, the passenger produced a firearm and, according to the driver, pointed it at him. The driver managed to stop and flee on foot. The suspect then drove the vehicle north toward Prince Albert with the driver’s phone still inside.
A ping placed the phone near Range Road 3050 in the RM. CPPS patrolled the area in support of the RCMP’s investigation, but the vehicle was not located.
Wanting to help is a good instinct, but picking up pedestrians along the highway carries real risk, and police don’t recommend it. If you’re worried about someone you see near a roadway, the safest way to help is to call police and let officers check on them.
Not the Way to Mark Red Ribbon Day
Just before 9 a.m. on November 3, a CPPS officer making a proactive traffic stop noticed signs that the driver had been drinking. The driver first gave police a false identity. Further checks showed he was bound by court-ordered conditions, including a requirement not to consume alcohol.
A sample into an Approved Screening Device registered an “ALERT,” which brought an automatic 60-day licence suspension and a thirty-day vehicle impoundment. It also confirmed he had breached his condition to abstain from alcohol.
The driver was arrested and faces charges of obstruction, personation and driving while prohibited and failing to comply with a release order. He was taken to the Saskatoon RCMP Detachment and held for a bail hearing.
The timing was hard to miss. On the same day MADD Canada launched its annual Red Ribbon campaign, CPPS officers were dealing with a drinking driver before most of us had finished our morning coffee. It’s a good reminder that impaired driving isn’t only a late-night problem.
Neighbours Helping Neighbours in Vanscoy
Shortly before 10 a.m. on November 4, the Vanscoy Police Service asked CPPS to help with a report of a suspected impaired driver at the Vanscoy Co-op Gas Bar. A CPPS officer attended to provide specialized impaired-driving support.
The officer found the driver sitting in a vehicle at the pumps and conducted a Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) investigation. The driver performed poorly, resulting in an immediate roadside sanction: a 21-day licence suspension and a seven-day vehicle impoundment.
This call shows what a strong working relationship between neighbouring services can do. Through ongoing training and day-to-day enforcement, CPPS members have built considerable expertise in impaired-driving investigations. Sharing that expertise with partners like the Vanscoy Police Service makes the whole region safer and helps get impaired drivers off the road before tragedy strikes.
Nearly Double the Limit
Later that day, CPPS officers clocked an SUV on radar at 117 km/h in a posted 60 km/h zone, nearly twice the limit. The driver received a Summary Offence Ticket for excessive speeding, and the vehicle was impounded for [confirm] days. The driver was left at the roadside to arrange a ride home, which gave plenty of time to reflect on the meaning of “slow down.”
Expired Plates, Repeat Offence
Shortly before midnight, officers stopped a pickup with defective equipment on Centennial Drive in Martensville. The registration had expired several days earlier, and the driver had been convicted of driving an unregistered vehicle within the past year. The driver received a Summary Offence Ticket, and the truck was impounded for seven days.
CPPS doesn’t routinely patrol Martensville, but members often pass through communities next to the RM. When they see a traffic safety concern along the way, they act on it, as part of our commitment to safer roads across the region.
Glove Box Is Not a Closed Container
Shortly before midnight on November 6, CPPS officers on Highway 219 stopped a vehicle for a mandatory alcohol screening demand under the Criminal Code. The driver told officers there was cannabis in the vehicle and handed over several pre-rolled joints from the glove compartment.
Officers seized the cannabis, issued a Summary Offence Ticket, and explained the rules. Cannabis is legal in Canada, but in Saskatchewan it must be carried in a closed container where no one in the vehicle can easily reach it. The glove box, centre console, door pocket and seat all count as readily accessible. The trunk is a much better choice.
Swerving Leads to Charges
On the evening of November 8, CPPS officers on Highway 5 saw a vehicle swerving and leaving its lane. The driver admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel. An Approved Screening Device sample registered a “FAIL,” and the driver was arrested and taken to the Saskatoon RCMP Detachment. Breath samples there both showed 140 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood, well over the legal limit of 80.
The driver was charged with impaired operation and operation with a blood alcohol concentration over 80 mg%. The driver was released into the care of a sober adult and will appear in court at a later date.