Eagle hit by car
May 16 at 3 pm a 72 year old Burnaby man attended the Detachment to inform the police that his vehicle had collided with a bald eagle on Hwy 97C at North Rd. He said he observed the eagle feeding from a deer carcass at the side of the highway. He said as he approached the scene, the bird flew off and into the pathway of his vehicle, smashing his windshield. Officers attended and rescued the eagle, bringing it back to the Detachment to await the arrival of a Conservation Officer, but the bird succumbed to its injuries.
Injured woman found
May 16 at 5:30 pm police received a report of an injured woman in a vehicle with a male leaving the Cache Creek Liquor Store parking lot. The vehicle was located with the assistance of the Lillooet RCMP on Hwy 99 near Pavilion Creek. The 85 year old Lillooet woman had a significant head injury and advised that she fell in the parking lot. She and the driver were trying to get her to the Lillooet hospital. BC Ambulance attended and transported her to the hospital.
Escaped from hospital
May 16 at 8:45 pm the Ashcroft hospital reported that a 75 year old male patient had gone missing. The Nanaimo man had been brought in earlier by Clinton RCMP who found him acting strangely and wanted him transported to Kamloops for a mental health exam. A CN employee reported early the next morning that he spotted the man walking southbound on the tracks by Black Canyon. He vanished before police could arrive. A police dog team and a helicopter were added to the search, but it was a call from the Ashcroft Ranch, who said the man had attended a work site and asked the ranch hands for a ride, that led RCMP to arrest him under the Mental Health Act and transport him to Kamloops’ hospital.
Wanted
May 17 a warrant has been issue for former Cache Creek resident Thomas Studd, 48, who is wanted for two breaches of probation. Studd was convicted of assault and failed to comply with reporting conditions of his probation. His last known address was in Kamloops. Anyone with information of his whereabouts are asked to contact the RCMP at 453-2216.
Cell phone use and seat belt violations
The Central Interior Traffic Services conducted a seatbelts and cell phone blitz on May 15, involving an under cover police officer in the Village of Cache Creek.
During the four hour operation, the three officers initiated a total of 26 vehicle stop for a total of 28 offences. Amongst the offences recorded, the officers noted 18 people without their seatbelt properly worn and six drivers using their handheld device.
The officers also issued a 24 hour prohibition for alcohol and a three day Immediate Roadside Prohibition.
It would appear that some drivers don’t get the message that seatbelts do save lives and that driving while using a handheld device is extremely dangerous. Motorists in our area can be sure that the Central Interior Traffic Services will plan more operations of this kind in the near future.
Slow down in construction zones
With the spring and summer season upon us again in the southern Interior the highways are getting busier with traffic and construction. Central Interior Traffic Services would like to remind everyone of the need to slow down and respect the construction site workers and other drivers on the road.
The ministry of transportation has allotted extra funding this year for enforcement of construction zone highway safety in our area, which will be utilized to promote safety for highway maintenance and construction workers.
Drivers are reminded to please obey all construction zone signs and pay attention to traffic control personnel or potentially face stiff fines for speeding, disobeying traffic control personnel, and distracted driving type offences.