B.C. man charged with impaired driving for 5th time in under 4 years, police say

An Abbotsford police vehicle is seen in this image from the department's Facebook page. (Credit: Facebook/AbbyPoliceDept)

A driver is facing his fifth impaired driving charge in less than four years after police responded to a single-vehicle crash in Abbotsford early Tuesday morning.

In a social media post, the Abbotsford Police Department said officers were called to the crash site in the 3400 block of Old Clayburn Road just before 1 a.m.

The driver—who was the sole occupant of the vehicle—had already fled the scene on foot, but was located and arrested a short time later.

Police say the 39-year-old man had just completed a driving suspension last week, and did not hold a valid driver’s licence when officers arrested him.

Authorities say a criminal charge of refusing to comply with a breath sample, and failing to stop at an accident are being recommended.

“So far in January, AbbyPD officers have removed 51 impaired drivers from our roads in just 14 days,” police said in the post. “Clearly, current penalties are not strong enough to deter individuals from making the dangerous and criminal choice to drive impaired.”

AbbyPD thanked those who called in over the past two weeks to report suspected impaired drivers, and is encouraging the public to continue to reach out if they see any suspicious activity on the roads.