Impaired driver blamed squirrel for rollover crash on B.C. highway: RCMP

FILE: A grey squirrel yawns in an undated Shutterstock image.

A driver involved in a rollover crash in B.C.'s Lower Mainland told RCMP a small rodent forced him to swerve off the road – though authorities suspect alcohol probably didn't help his reflexes.

Mission RCMP said the collision happened last Thursday along the Lougheed Highway near Lake Erroch, and ended with the driver's car overturned in the mud.

"Fortunately, the driver only sustained a minor injury," said Cpl. Harrison Mohr.

The motorist told responding officers a squirrel had wandered onto the highway, causing him to jerk the wheel and crash.

In a light-hearted social media post about the collision, Mission RCMP said the offending squirrel "remained at the scene" and was told by police to "wear brightly-coloured clothing and cross at a cross-walk next time."

"The squirrel thought that idea was nuts," the detachment said.

After listening to the driver's explanation, officers said they found an open liquor container in his car, and that he subsequently failed a roadside breathalyzer test.

"All joking aside, this should serve as a reminder about the dangers of impaired driving," Mohr said. "When someone's impaired, they just don't have that same ability to react, whether it's to a squirrel or something else that comes out unexpectedly in front you."

The driver’s car was impounded and he was handed an immediate 90-day driving prohibition.

Attended a rollover after impaired driver swerved to avoid a squirrel (90-day prohibition). The squirrel remained at scene and was uninjured, but officers recommended it wear brightly-coloured clothing and cross at a cross-walk next time. The squirrel thought that idea was nuts. pic.twitter.com/Lq8W8pw9Gu

— Mission RCMP (@MissionRCMP) October 12, 2023