By Sarah Klein
Winnipeg police have laid formal charges against four individuals accused of drinking and driving this holiday season.
The four separate incidents occurred between December 3 and 4.
In the first case, police say a 19-year-old man was attempting to pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed on Regent Avenue near Madeline Street. The driver struck the vehicle being passed and fled the scene. He was later arrested and faces charges, including driving impaired, failure to remain at the scene of an accident, driving without a licence and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Police also arrested a 23-year-old man and 26-year-old man in two separate traffic stops while they were observed to be driving erratically. Both were subsequently charged with impaired driving.
A 48-year-old man was pulled over in the area of St. Matthews Street and Empress Avenue at about 1 a.m. on December 4 as part of the Holiday Check Stop Program. He, too, is facing similar charges.
Police have made substantially more drunk driving arrests compared to last year due to a shift in strategy. Less roadside check stops are being conducted and a greater emphasis on targeting establishments where people may be consuming alcohol are being made, such as at house parties and restaurants/bars.
