Drug, alcohol impairment suspected in hit and run

A man allegedly impaired by drugs and alcohol was involved in a hit-and-run collision Wednesday evening in Kelowna.

Kelowna RCMP responded to a report of a hit and run at the intersection of Gordon Drive and Harvey Avenue at 6:30 p.m.

A blue Dodge Caliber had been travelling north on Gordon Drive when it was struck in the intersection by a southbound silver Toyota Corolla.

The Toyota left the scene, heading east along Harvey Avenue, said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.

A short distance away, the suspect vehicle veered into the centre median of the highway, then collided with a tree before coming to a stop in the centre lane of the eastbound lanes.

The driver and sole occupant of the Toyota had to be extracted from his vehicle by the Kelowna Fire Department.

“During their interaction with the driver at the scene, specially trained investigators of the RCMP detected symptoms of suspected drug impairment,” said O’Donaghey.

The driver, a 47-year-old Kelowna man, underwent an evaluation with a drug recognition expert.

Preliminary findings from the evaluation suggest the driver was impaired by a combination of alcohol and likely more than one drug, said O’Donaghey.

“A final determination will not be made until the finalized report of the drug recognition expert is prepared and reviewed in conjunction with the test results received from the BC Forensic Lab,” he said.

The driver was later released from custody and now faces a number of potential impaired driving criminal charges.

The driver and passenger of the Dodge Caliber both sustained minor non-life-threatening injuries and were assessed at the scene by paramedics. The driver was later taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The collisions stalled traffic along Harvey Avenue between Gordon Drive and Chandler Street.

Witnesses who have yet to speak with police are asked to call the Kelowna RCMP municipal traffic section at 250-762-3300.