Submitted by Sgt. G.D. Simpson
Clearwater RCMP responded to 29 calls for service over this past week. Here are just a few of them:
March 28
At approximately 6:45 p.m. Clearwater RCMP observed a suspicious red Toyota Highlander leaving a mobile home park located in the 900 block of Old North Thompson Highway in Blackpool BC.
Police conducted a traffic stop on Jenkins Rd/Highway 5 and upon interaction with the occupants police could smell a strong odour of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, which led them to believe there was a significant amount within the vehicle.
The local male driver and passenger were arrested, chartered and warned. After searching the driver, police located red and purple plastic baggies containing illicit drugs on his person. The other police officer on scene searched the passenger, subsequently locating cannabis along with some cash. Police located more illicit drugs on the rear seat of the vehicle.
All drugs were seized pending further investigation.
March 29
At 8:28 p.m., Clearwater RCMP received a report of a single vehicle roll-over on Highway 5 near Harmon Road in Vavenby, B.C. The complainant was unable to locate any occupants in the vehicle, but provided the B.C. license plate and noted the engine was still warm. Police responded and attended to the scene. The vehicle had been travelling northbound on Highway 5 when it drifted into the northbound shoulder (which terminates in a very steep bank dropping down into forest).
Tire marks lasted close to 100 metres along the shoulder before recovering on the roadway, heading across the highway and off-road left into the southbound ditch and flipping over several times. The truck came to rest, passenger side down, facing mostly southbound, slightly angled toward the road.
Scratch marks on the door appear to show the driver door having been opened after the collision. There was a small amount of blood smear on the driver door panel. A cell phone registered to the vehicle owner, a Kelowna male, was located in the vehicle.
No other ID was located in the vehicle. All attempts to contact the owner via alternate numbers were negative. Several empty beer cans were located in the debris and an empty six-pack ring was located in the vehicle.
Checks at the Vavenby General Store, Clearwater Hospital, and BC Ambulance Service were all negative for driver/owner. The owner attended the Clearwater RCMP detachment the following day, admitted to driving, so received a violation ticket for fail to keep right and possessing open liquor in a motor vehicle. His phone was returned to him.
The RCMP have become aware of an upswing of grain being dumped road side in pull outs in the Blue River and Avola areas. Police are requesting the public’s assistance with putting a stop to this practice.
This practice attracts local wild life to the highway, and as the animals gorge on the dry grains dumped at these pull outs, it expands in their stomachs and kills them. If you see grain being dumped please contact your local RCMP detachment, 911 or Crime Stoppers with any information and a description and/or license of the vehicle dumping it.
Anyone with information on a crime is encouraged to call Clearwater RCMP at 250-674-2237 or to report anonymously, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.