Victoria, P.E.I., fire chief gets jail for drunk driving
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The fireplace chief for Victoria, P.E.I., who drove drunk and almost struck a pedestrian, has been sentenced to jail for impaired driving and failing to adjust to a breathalyzer demand.
Roderick Dale MacDonald, 67, initially pleaded not responsible to the fees and had the issues scheduled for trial on Aug. 1 in provincial courtroom in Charlottetown. Nevertheless, quite than proceed with a trial, MacDonald’s lawyer Derek Bondt informed the courtroom that his consumer was pleading responsible to the fees.
The information
On Saturday, March 4, at 1 p.m., the East Prince RCMP obtained a grievance {that a} driver of a black Nissan truck on Nelson Road in Victoria almost hit a pedestrian crossing the street and had swerved over the centre line, stated Crown legal professional Emily Campbell. The truck pushed by MacDonald then drove right into a ditch. MacDonald was capable of get the truck out of the ditch and park in his driveway on Nelson Drive.
When police arrived, MacDonald was sitting within the snow at his residence and being helped by members of the family. An RCMP officer noticed that MacDonald was extraordinarily intoxicated and could not rise up on his personal, stated Campbell. MacDonald had a robust odor of alcohol coming from his breath, droopy and bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and issue protecting his stability when standing.
A member of the family informed police that after parking within the driveway, MacDonald received out of the truck, fell within the snow and was unable to rise up. MacDonald was the one occupant within the automobile. MacDonald had been ingesting together with his brother earlier that day.
The arrest
MacDonald was arrested for impaired driving and brought to the RCMP detachment in Summerside. MacDonald tried six instances to supply breathalyzer samples however was unsuccessful as a result of he wasn’t listening to police directions, stated Campbell. Consequently, MacDonald was additionally charged with failing a breathalyzer demand.
MacDonald is employed full-time and has been a volunteer firefighter with the Victoria Village Volunteer Hearth Division for 49 years, together with the previous 17 years as fireplace chief, stated Bondt. Bondt added that given MacDonald’s position in the neighborhood, his behaviour that day wasn’t acceptable and he ought to maintain himself to a better normal. MacDonald has additionally stopped ingesting alcohol for the reason that March 4 incident, stated Bondt.
MacDonald spoke in courtroom and apologized for his actions.
“I sincerely do not need a ingesting drawback,” he stated.
He defined that day he was together with his brother and was coping with the stress of points round signing household property paperwork. As nicely, he was coping with stress over points with the municipality buying a brand new fireplace truck.
The sentence
Decide Nancy Orr sentenced MacDonald to seven days in jail for failing a breathalyzer demand and 7 days concurrent for impaired driving. Orr granted a request permitting MacDonald to serve the jail sentence on weekends. MacDonald was banned from driving for one 12 months plus the time in jail, fined $2,000 and ordered to pay a $600 sufferer surcharge.
MacDonald didn’t have a previous felony document.
Terrence McEachern is a justice reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by e mail at [email protected] and may be adopted on Twitter @terry_mcn.
