Two cars spotted driving down the Pat Bay Highway at 30 kilometres below the speed limit led Saanich police to a highly intoxicated driver.
Around 3 a.m. on Sunday (July 29), the two vehicles – including a blue 2011 Jeep Liberty – were pulled over in the 4200-block of the highway.
The officer found the driver of the Jeep, a 24-year-old Vancouver woman, emitting a strong smell of alcohol, and after administering a roadside breathalyzer, found her to have a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
The woman had been at a wedding near Prospect Lake, and declined the organizer's offer of taking a shuttle service home.
En route from the wedding she got lost and stopped at a convenience store, where a male customer offered to lead her into town.
While travelling along the Pat Bay Highway, in view of the Saanich officer, the customer, in the lead vehicle, had to continually hit the brakes to let the Jeep catch up.
Sgt. Dean Jantzen said the vehicles were averaging 50 to 60 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
"This is someone who was highly, highly intoxicated, and was just a menace to other people on the roadway," he said.
The Vancouver woman was charged with impaired driving, and had her licence suspended and her vehicle impounded.
kslavin@saanichnews.com