An Inuvik woman lost her driving privileges for a year after being caught behind the wheel at over double the legal limit.
Appearing in Inuvik Territorial Court Nov. 3, the woman, who will not be named because it is her first criminal offence, pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired. Judge Robert Gorin fined her $2,000 and revoked her driving privileges for a year.
"You have no criminal record," said Gorin in his judgment. "What that tells me is what you did was out of character. That's not usual behaviour for you."
Crown prosecutor Jared Kelly told court that on May 9, at 3:30 a.m. Inuvik RCMP received a complaint about a black Ford F-150 driving erratically that nearly hit a pedestrian.
A patrol car spotted a vehicle matching the description driving along Kingmingya road and followed it. Police observed the vehicle swerve into the oncoming traffic lane and that the licence plate was not visible, and initiated a traffic stop. They noted the woman was driving the truck and observed bloodshot, glossy eyes and the odour of liquor from the vehicle.
The woman admitted to the police she had been drinking wine and was arrested. Police took her to the station and took two breathalyzer readings, both of which put her at a 0.19 blood alcohol content.
"She recognizes she can drink if she wishes to, but not to drink and drive," said duty counsel Paul Falvo. "She understands what she did was unacceptable."