An RCMP officer was briefly trapped in a damaged cruiser after being struck head-on by an SUV traveling the wrong way on the Route 11 off-ramp in Tracadie, NB, Wednesday night, according to a police release.
The release said the driver of the SUV fled the scene of the crash after the collision around 8:20 p.m. AT.
“Another driver in the area stopped to assist the officer by helping her out of the vehicle [safely]”, says the press release.
Although she suffered minor injuries in the collision, the RCMP officer “immediately began searching for the driver of the SUV,” the release said.
She found an unharmed woman hiding in tall grass about 300 yards from the crash site and arrested her, according to the news release.
If you ever needed a reminder of the dangers of impaired driving, this is it. – Cpl. Kevin Plourde
Police said the arrested woman took alcohol tests at the Tracadie RCMP detachment, which showed a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.
“This could have been an extremely bad situation for everyone, including our member,” the news release quoted Cpl. Kevin Plourde, as he said. “If you ever needed a reminder of the dangers of impaired driving, this is it.”
One lane of Route 11 was closed for several hours after the crash, with a police collision reconstructionist among those investigating.
The 50-year-old Tracadie woman, who was arrested at the scene, will appear in Tracadie Provincial Court on February 24, 2023.
Police are investigating whether to charge the driver with leaving the scene of the accident.
The officer who was in the car that was hit was taken to hospital for treatment but was released that evening.
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