(file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Impaired driving

Impaired drivers receive scolding and over $7,000 in fines

Sep 29, 2020 | 5:03 PM

A pair of strangers with no connection beyond the similarity of their offences, are facing over $7,000 in fines following convictions for impaired driving.

Lesley Larocque, 22, and Pamela Lavallee, 38, were sentenced Tuesday afternoon during back-to-back proceedings at Prince Albert Provincial Court.

Larocque was arrested shortly around 9 a.m. on May 5, after causing a three-vehicle crash at the intersection of 28th St. and Second Ave W. According to the statement of facts from Crown Prosecutor Fatima Sarwar, Larocque emerged from his vehicle and was talking to bystanders.

“He seemed oblivious to what had occurred,” she said.

Fortunately no one was hurt, but Larocque’s blood alcohol level was later measured at twice the legal limit, and a pile of beer cars was found inside the vehicle he was driving.

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The minimum fine for this type of charge is $2,000 but the Crown asked for an elevated sentence.

“Just to get the message across this is serious,” Sarwar said.

Judge Healey agreed and handed Larocque a fine of $3,000, plus a one-year driving prohibition. He must also pay $900 in surcharges.

“It’s very fortunate no one was hurt,” Healey said. “Hopefully you will learn from this.”

Immediately following Larocque was a 38-year-old woman from Timber Bay, who also had no prior criminal record.

On Aug. 9, around 8:40 a.m., Pamela Lavallee was pulled over by police near the Conexus Credit Union on Second Ave. W. but not before narrowly missing another vehicle, Crown said.

Inside the car, police found a box of beer in the back seat and Lavallee admitted to having three drinks. Her female passenger later confessed to police Lavalle actually had six to 12 drinks. Lavallee later refused repeated requests by police to provide a breath sample, Sarwar said.

Similar to the first case, the Crown was once asking for an elevated sentence based on the potential risk to the public. Judge Healey agreed and issued Lavallee a fine of $2,500 and a one-year driving prohibition. She must also pay over $700 in surcharges.

“I hope you have learned from this,” Healey said to Lavallee, reminding her the penalty could have been far worse had she hurt someone.

According to the August statistics from the Prince Albert Police Service, there have been 83 incidents year to date related to impaired driving and refusal to provide a breath sample.

This year had four more incidents than from the same time period last year. For the month of August alone there were 15 related incidents.

—

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell