RCMP: Road rage backfires on Montrose man
By Trail Champion
On Oct. 7 at 8:21 p.m., a frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officer detained a 44-year-old Montrose man roadside for allegedly speeding in his vehicle on Rossland Avenue, in Trail. The traffic detention became far from routine when the driver began recording the officer and launching into a lengthy diatribe of insults and profanities. The officer remained professional throughout the incident and issued a $138 fine for Speeding Against Highway Sign contrary to Section 146(1) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act.
Later, the Trail and Greater District RCMP were alerted to the fact that the man had posted his explicit filled video to a social media account. The man was contact by Trail RCMP and asked to remove it to which he complied.
This Trail RCMP officer was absolutely professional when dealing with this irate driver. Roadside rage is nothing new to the officer, or any police officer; however, there are limits to (our tolerance to) incivility and poor behaviour,” said Trail RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Mike Wicentowich. “The man may have received a verbal warning if he had shown some degree of accountability for his actions but instead likely talked himself into the issuance of a violation ticket.
The Trail RCMP are members of this community who often go above and beyond on and off duty to serve their community,” he added..”The officer who was the subject of the alleged verbal attack is a leader in our community in many areas, including impaired driving enforcement. He is a distinguished member of Alexa’s Team and the RCMP stands behind him and his contribution to keeping the roadway and his community safe. Trail RCMP welcomes debate, and there are legal avenues in which to dispute a ticket. Please don’t lose your cool roadside. It’s better to talk calmly with the officer, or have your day in court to speak your case before a judge.
