A Vernon woman who had just asked a judge for leniency on a traffic ticket was stopped for impaired driving moments after leaving the courthouse, highlighting what police say is a complete lack of judgment as the winter impaired driving campaign ramps up across British Columbia.BC Highway Patrol says the incident happened Oct. 28, shortly after 3 p.m. at the Vernon Provincial Courthouse. The 28-year-old woman had attended traffic court to request a reduced fine for a previous violation. While interacting with the officer who issued the original ticket, police say the officer developed grounds to believe the woman was impaired.According to police, officers watched as the woman exited the courthouse, got into the driver’s seat of a red pickup truck and drove away..“The woman was stopped, and she failed an Approved Screening Device,” said BC Highway Patrol Corporal Michael McLaughlin. “She was immediately issued a 90-day driving prohibition and her vehicle was impounded for seven days.”The entire interaction was captured on police body-worn camera and in-car video, which police say will serve as evidence should the woman choose to challenge the prohibition in court.With the Winter Impaired Driving campaign now underway, BC Highway Patrol is using the case as a cautionary tale, reminding drivers that impaired driving is entirely preventable with even minimal planning before getting behind the wheel.
