Left to right: P.A. Police Chief Patrick Nogier, MADD Representative Karen Anthony-Burns, Constable Rob Lindsay, Chair of P.A.'s Board Of Police Commissioners Janet Carriere, Constable Matt Brown, Constable Dwight Leblue, and MADD Representative Darren Deck. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Saving Lives

Three P.A. police officers receive award after removing 48 impaired drivers from streets

Feb 13, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Three officers with the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) were recently recognized for their work taking impaired drivers off the streets.

Constable Dwight Leblue, Constable Robert Lindsay, and Constable Matt Brown were each given a Van de Vorst Family Award from MADD Canada.

The award, named in memory of Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst and their two children Kamryn and Miguire, who were killed by an impaired driver outside of Saskatoon in 2016, is handed out annually to those who remove at least eight impaired drivers.

From March 2022 to March 2023, Leblue stopped 21 impaired drivers, while Lindsay stopped 19 and Brown stopped eight.

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Leblue and Lindsay have received the award multiple times.

“I’m proud to be here again and hopefully next year and the year after that,” Leblue said.

As for Brown, this was his first time receiving the award.

“I had a lot of emotions when I was told. I was obviously proud, happy, and glad I could contribute.”

He joked that since he works in the canine unit his partner Kal was snubbed from the award.

“Everywhere I go, he goes, and everything I do he does. I’ll give him an extra cup of food for the award,” he laughed.

While each was proud to receive it, there still was a sense of frustration. This is because 48 people decided to put their lives and the lives of others at risk.

“If you want to drink, simply don’t drive or get a ride,” said Lindsay.

The three also took time to share stories of close calls they’d seen.

A couple of years ago, Leblue clocked someone driving 170 km in a 110 km/h zone near Duck Lake. After pulling the driver over, they blew double the legal limit.

“It just makes you sick thinking about it, he’s sharing the road with other people,” he added.

Lindsay remembered a time when a truck was stolen with a baby inside. Shortly after it was taken, he found it and forced the driver to pull over.

“She had a beverage in her hand, and she starts walking away, so I put a grasp on her and put her in the back of my police car. I look in the backseat of the truck and sure enough, there’s a little baby boy that was still in the baby car seat still sleeping.”

Brown talked about a time a woman, who was impaired on prescription drugs, crashed her vehicle in a ditch. There was a child inside the vehicle, though thankfully no one was hurt.

Overall, the three agreed that there is simply no excuse for driving while impaired.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @princealbertnow