A Prince George man who was acquitted of drunk driving would probably not have been so lucky if the federal government had taken up the advice offered by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Even though he blew 110 and 120 milligrams of alcohol per litre of blood following a October 2008 collision, Arnold Thomas Trenaman was acquitted last month in part because the samples were taken nearly two-and-a-half hours after police were called to the scene.
Police actually have up to four hours to get a sample under the Criminal Code but because it was taken after two hours, Trenaman's lawyer argued successfully that he took a drink shortly before he got into his truck and was not yet drunk when the accident occurred.
But if MADD had its way, the limit would be three hours before the Crown is forced to bring in an expert to determine how drunk the accused may have been. And more to the point, there would have been a van equipped with breath sampling equipment and access to legal counsel called to the scene as a way to get Trenaman to provide a sample much sooner.
See the full story in tomorrow's print and online editions.
