‘This can’t happen again’: RCMP make arrests for ‘unsafe driving behaviours’ in Moncton

Tire marks are pictured in Moncton, N.B., following a large gathering of people associated with the Atlantic Nationals car show. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)

The Codiac Regional RCMP made arrests and handed out several tickets after an incident involving unsafe driving in Moncton, N.B., Saturday night.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Luc Picard said police responded to numerous calls on Mountain Road for a large gathering of people associated with the Atlantic Nationals car show.

“Throughout the evening, members conducted traffic enforcement and responded to concerns involving unsafe driving behaviours and public disorder,” said Picard in an email.

Picard said a small number of people were arrested, but wouldn’t say how many.

Around 57 tickets were issued under New Brunswick’s Motor Vehicle Act.

Codiac Regional RCMP Superintendent Benoit Jolette addressed the issue at a Moncton City Council meeting on Monday and said members responded to complaints of people doing burn outs and racing.

Jolette said they’ve taken a “measured approach” to policing organized and non-organized events related to the car show over the past few years, but won’t be doing that anymore.

He said some residents and some non-residents that showed up over the weekend were not there to have fun.

“They were here to cause issues and some people almost got seriously hurt, residents getting run over by people that were driving erratically, extremely fast, extremely dangerously. What I will say to Moncton council is we will not be tolerating that next year and we will come enforce and obviously the measured approach did not work. Specifically, for those non-organized areas,” said Jolette.

Councillor Kate Doyle asked for a debrief and specific details of what happened on Saturday night.

Doyle referenced videos circulating online of a large crowd that had gathered on Mountain Road who shouted obscenities at police and people who were taken to the ground by RCMP members.

“This can’t happen again. It was incredibly troubling to watch,” said Doyle. “Seeing kids walking in the street with cars driving by, regular traffic going by. We are so lucky nothing worse happened than it did.”

Doyle added the whole incident captured on video and shared on social media “wasn’t a good look” for Moncton.

Jolette agreed and said they’ve already started planning for next year’s car show and the non-organized events that take place during the evenings.

“It will not happen again because we have a duty to preserve public safety and order and it was on the cusp of losing control on Saturday. It didn’t get there, but it was pretty close,” said Jolette.

Jolette was asked by Mayor Shawn Crossman what his reaction was to the crowd yelling “(expletive) the police” in the videos.

“Our people had a rough night,” said Jolette, but added they get yelled at frequently and all the members got up the next day and went back to work.

Picard said the incident remains under investigation and police will not be providing additional details for now.

Thousands of people attended the car show at Moncton’s Centennial Park on Saturday and the five-day event is one of the largest tourist attractions for the region every year.

Jolette said the organized events at the annual car show are “always fantastic” and he praised the volunteers.

“But there’s a stark difference with the non-organized activities and that’s where all the issues happen,” said Jolette.

More to come…

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