Police credit Chelsea, Que. bar employee for alerting officers to impaired driver

MRC Des Collines Police

Police in western Quebec are crediting an alert employee at a Chelsea, Que. bar for calling police to report an alleged impaired driver, who police say registered four times the legal limit on a breathalyzer test.

The MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais police says the employee called police around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, saying a customer preparing to leave the establishment was impaired.

The employee provided officers with "valuable information" about the description of the vehicle, the first name of the driver and the direction the vehicle was travelling, according to police. Officers located the driver travelling north on Highway 5 less than 15 minutes after the call.

"(The officer) quickly observed very erratic driving," police said, adding the vehicle nearly drove into the ditch.

The vehicle was stopped and the driver was arrested.

"At the station, she broke records on the breathalyzer with a rate that exceeded four times the permitted limit," police said.

"A bad week at work would be the justification for such a binge."

Police say the driver, a 37-year-old woman from La Peche, had her license suspended for 90 days and the vehicle was seized for 30 days. She will also have to appear in court in three months.

"Bravo to this employee who allowed all road users to get home safely, including the offender, who still had more than 20 km to drive before arriving at her destination."