Placentia-Whitbourne RCMP responds to two crashes involving impaired drivers

September 18, 2026 - Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador
From: Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP

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Two motorists — one in Ferndale and one in Jerseyside — were arrested for impaired driving by Placentia-Whitbourne RCMP after police responded to two crashes this week.

Just after 6:00 p.m. on September 13, an officer conducting proactive patrols in Ferndale was flagged down by concerned citizens reporting a motor vehicle crash. Once at the scene, the officer observed a damaged vehicle that had collided with a residence on Ferndale Road, causing extensive damage to both. Witnesses directed the officer to the driver of the vehicle, who had been taken inside the residence.

The driver, a 72-year-old Dunville woman, was not seriously injured, but exhibited signs of intoxication and was arrested for impaired operation. She was brought to Placentia Health Centre where she was presented with a demand for a blood sample to confirm her impairment. Her licence was suspended, and her vehicle was seized and impounded. Officers are waiting on the results of laboratory testing to confirm if impaired driving charges are appropriate.

Last night (September 17) just before 8:00 p.m., police, Emergency Medical Services and the Placentia Fire Department responded to reports of a motor vehicle crash on Main Road in Jerseyside. A vehicle was damaged after it crashed into a shed, and the driver, a 63-year-old Freshwater woman, was arrested after police observed clear signs of impairment. Open alcohol was also observed in her vehicle.

She was returned to the Placentia RCMP Detachment, where she refused to comply with a demand for a breath sample. Her licence was suspended, her vehicle was seized and impounded and she will appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation and failure or refusal to comply with a demand for alcohol testing.

Refusing or failing to comply with a demand issued by police as part of an impaired operation investigation is a criminal offence. If convicted, this offence carries the same penalties as a charge of impaired operation.

Impaired drivers place themselves and all others who share the roadway at an increased and unacceptable risk of serious injury or death. If you suspect a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired, please call 911.

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