A B.C. woman is facing criminal charges for drunk-driving after an off-duty cop discovered her slumped over the steering wheel of her parked van, with the engine still running and in gear, beside a preschool.
The 48-year-old Qualicum Beach woman, who was on a 90-day licence suspension at the time, was arrested Thursday morning after she was discovered passed out in her vehicle parked beside the preschool at Beban Park Recreation Centre in Nanaimo. According to police, about 24 small children were about to be released from school.
RCMP. Cpl. Dean Muir and his wife were at the recreation centre to pick up their child when they noticed the unconscious woman. Seeing that the reverse lights were on at the back of the van, Muir assumed she was in medical distress. After checking to find that the doors were all locked, he called 911.
While he waited for the ambulance, Muir banged on the windows until the driver woke up and opened her door. The officer shut off the engine and took the keys out of the ignition.
That's when he noticed that the woman didn't appear to be sick or injured -- her speech and movements suggested she may actually be drunk. The suspect was taken to the RCMP detachment, where she gave two breath samples that police say "far exceeded" the legal limit.
Const. Gary O'Brien told ctvbc.ca that the woman had "no idea" how she ended up at the recreation centre.
It marked the second time in less than a week that Mounties had encountered the same woman in a suspected case of drinking and driving. Police say she also drove her car into a ditch in Qualicum Beach on Feb. 10 and was issued a 90-day driving ban.
Investigators are recommending impaired driving charges in both cases, as well as a charge of driving while prohibited. The suspect is scheduled to make her next court appearance on May 8.
