Amusing RCMP (Mountie) story

E-mailed from GG's dad, who said "Either an amusing fabrication, or perhaps true. But still pleasant either way."

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The following news story appeared in a recent edition of Canada's "Globe and Mail".

In most Canadian provinces, police forces have a policy of checking on any stalled vehicle on the highway when the temperatures drop into the single digits or below. One morning in March, about 3:00 a.m., RCMP Constable Bill Wisen was alerted to respond to such a call. A car was parked off the shoulder in sub-freezing temperatures on the Trans Canada Highway outside of Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Constable Wisen located the car, its engine still running, stuck in deep snow alongside the highway. Pulling in behind it with his emergency lights on, he walked to the driver's door to find a man passed out behind the wheel and a near empty bottle of vodka on the seat beside him.

The officer tapped on the window and the driver woke up. Seeing the flashing lights in his rear view mirror and a Mountie Constable standing next to his car, the man panicked. He jerked the gearshift into drive and hit the gas. The car's speedometer was showing 20-30-40 then 50 kph, but the vehicle was still stuck in the snow, wheels madly spinning.

Constable Wisen, having a sense of humor, began running on the spot next to the "speeding" but still stationary car. The driver was totally freaked out, thinking the officer was actually keeping up with him.

The "race" went on for about 20 seconds, then Constable Wisen pounded on the window and ordered the man to "Pull over."

The man obeyed, took his foot off the gas pedal, turned his wheels and stopped the engine. Once out of the car, the drunken driver asked about the RCMP's special training and just how the Constable could run 50 kph..

The man, Mr. Robert Duport of Medicine Hat, was arrested for driving under the influence, still believing that an RCMP Constable had outrun his car.

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Two comments:

1) Well, sure!!! 50kph is only about 30 miles per hour. Now, if he'd been going **freeway** speeds (80-100km/h) -- now **that** would've been something! :)

2) A Montana friend of GG's e-mailed GG, who forwarded it to me. Said it could be true; she lives near the US-Canada border, and people out there get stuck like that all the time.


--TG