Princeton man charged for not driving drunk

A Princeton man ended up paying $230 for a beer he never drank after colliding with a BC Conservation Officer (CO) on the road.

Officers were driving on Princeton Summerland Road near Jura shortly after 4:00 pm on November 11. On the 22nd, I nearly veered off the highway after being chased by an oncoming vehicle.

“The officers ditched two wheels of the car,” said Sergeant RCMP. Rob Hughes because an oncoming vehicle was in his lane.

“When the CO made a traffic stop to the man and asked if he had alcohol in his car,[the driver]pointed to a glass of beer in the cup holder.”

The Princeton RCMP was present at the scene and brought the man back to the detachment for breathalyzer testing, which determined the man had not been drinking.

“There was no alcohol in his blood, which is great…his driving behavior was not the result of drinking alcohol. He was just a bad driver,” Hughes said.

“While doing the right thing by not driving drunk, he was ticketed for being drunk in the car.”

A fine of $230 was imposed under the Liquor Regulation and Licensing Act.