Lesson one for new drivers – don‘t smoke your bong next to a police van in traffic.
A 20-year-old Kelowna man learned that the hard way Sunday morning, when a prisoner van covered with RCMP decals pulled up next to his passenger side at a red light on Gordon Drive. The young driver reached for a glass bong, placed marijuana in the bowl, lit it and inhaled the smoke.
“The policeman (was) right there, not more than five feet away,” said RCMP Const. Steve Holmes. “Clearly, the driver was oblivious to the large, white, fully marked police van.”
The officer pulled him over and smelled the burning pot inside the Chev coupe, which displayed an N sticker to designate a new driver. The officer also found a small amount of marijuana inside the car. The RCMP suspended him for 24 hours for driving under the influence of a drug. A tow truck removed his car, and he got a ticket for driving without reasonable consideration. ICBC must now determine whether he should be allowed to keep driving. Top of Page
