A classic case of Canadianna crime raced across our city's cold streets this past weekend.
It started with that iconic national figure the Mountie, on patrol about 9 p.m. in the falling snow of the Hart neighbourhood of the northern capital.
The Mountie turned on the red-and-blue lights when a snowmobile was seen speeding down a back alley behind the Hart Centre Mall. Driving snowmobiles anywhere inside city limits is against the law, much less on public streets.
"The snowmobile fled to a nearby residence when the officer attempted to stop the operator," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. "While entering the residential property, the snowmobile collided with a parked logging truck."
Police arrested the operator of the snowmobile and found him to be intoxicated by alcohol and marijuana. The suspect, a 21-year-old resident of Prince George, was unharmed by the collision with the logging truck. He was transported to the Prince George police detachment where he provided two breath samples, each in excess of twice the legal limit.
"The snowmobile was found to have been stolen during the early morning hours on Jan. 2 from a residence on Muermann Road outside the City of Prince George," Douglass said. The 2001 Polaris RKM 700 was returned to its rightful owner.
The accused was released on a promise to appear for court on May 30. The recommended charges are:
- Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Impaired Operation Over .08
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
The accused was also issued a $598 fine under the Motor Vehicle Act for having no insurance.
The Prince George RCMP would like to remind the snowmobiling public that operation of snowmobiles while impaired is illegal and subject to the same Criminal Code charges as someone driving an automobile.
