Trail and Greater District RCMP weekly report - 2024-03-25

Prohibited driver arrested and vehicle impounded

File # 2024-1056

On Wednesday, Saturday, March 20, 2024, at 12:10 a.m. a frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officer was conducting a routine patrol when he spotted 46-year-old Fruitvale man was driving his vehicle while prohibited from doing so in downtown Trail, BC. The officer stopped the vehicle roadside in the 700 block of Victoria Street.

The officer arrested the man driving while prohibited from operating a motor vehicle contrary to Section 95 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act. His vehicle was impounded for up to 7 days.

The 46-year-old Trail man will make his first appearance on May 23, 2024, in Provincial Court, in Rossland, BC.

Trail RCMP continues to make road safety a priority leading into the heavy traffic summer months, including removing those who are unsafe to being driving on the road, says Sgt. Wicentowich.

Two vehicles removed from roadway for serious defects

File # 2024-1058

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 12:40 a.m. frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officers observed, and heard, a 36-year-old Christina Lake man driving his vehicle driving while it emitted a high pitch metal screeching noise. The officers detained the vehicle roadside in the 700 block of Victoria Street.

Officers discovered that the vehicle brake system required a safety inspection, and a notice was issued. The vehicle was also uninsured and the licence plates did not belong to the vehicle.
The 36-year-old Christina Lake man was issued $707 in fines for No Insurance contrary to Section 24(3) BC MVA and Wrong Number Plate contrary to Section 95 BC MVA.

File # 2024-1066

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 10:48 a.m. a frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officer observed a 32-year-old Trail man sitting in his parked vehicle in the 900 block of Helena Street, in downtown Trail, BC. The officers detained the driver and vehicle roadside after noticing it appeared to have several defects to the body.

The vehicle appeared to have serious structural integrity to the car body, broken suspension, and illegally modified headlights. The officer issued an inspection notice and had it immediately removed from the road.

Police officer can issue inspection notices for your vehicle when it becomes a safety risk to others on the road. It can be to fix a single defect such as a burnout headlight, to removing your vehicle from the road immediately due to serious safety concerns with how the vehicle is operating," says Sgt. Wicentowich.

Resident scammed

File # 2024-1077

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 9:02 p.m. a frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officer received a report from a Trail resident that she was scammed out of $1900 by someone claiming to be her son and needing money. The resident was contacted by text and then transferred the money electronically via email to the person claiming to be her son. She grew suspicious when asked to transfer more after the first transaction. She contacted her sons who informed her that it wasn’t them who contact her, and she had been scammed.

Unfortunately, the money cannot be recovered due to it being electronically transferred.

Anyone can fall for a phone, text, and email scam as they are simple to execute yet often have sophisticated criminal networks running them. Please make sure you know the person that you are communicating with, and double check with the person that you are sending money if you are not sure about the legitimacy of the request. Fraud is a multibillion-dollar business, and education is your best defence against becoming a victim, says Sgt. Wicentowich.

For more information on frauds, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud website.