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EV driver was ‘asleep at the wheel,’ say police

photo supplied B.C. Highway Patrol

One driver is facing $500 in fines after allegedly dozing off during the morning rush hour, according to police.

The motorist, a 37-year-old Metro Vancouver woman, was heading east on Highway 1 in Coquitlam when a B.C. Highway Patrol officer pulled up alongside the Tesla.

The driver had her eyes closed and her arms crossed, according to police.

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“The driver appeared to be literally asleep at the wheel,” stated B.C. Highway Patrol media relations officer Cpl. Corporal Michael McLaughlin in a press release. “The driver said that she had ‘zoned out’ but was fully alert with her hands on the steering wheel. In-car police video did not support the driver’s claim.”

The driver was fined for speeding and driving without due care and attention, totalling $506.

“It’s true that some electric vehicles have self-driving mode, but those systems are not legal to use in BC,” McLaughlin stated. “You need to be fully awake, alert, focused, and in control of your vehicle at all times.”

Author

A chiropractor and a folk singer, after having one great kid, decided to push their luck and have one more, a boy they named Jeremy Shepherd.

Shepherd grew up around Blue Mountain Park in Coquitlam, following a basketball around and trying his best to get to the NBA (it didn’t work out, at least not yet).

With no career plans after graduating Porter Elementary school, Jeremy Shepherd pursued higher education at Como Lake Middle School and eventually, Centennial High School.

Approximately 1,000 movies and several beers later in life, Shepherd made a change.

Having done nothing worth writing, he decided to see if he could write something worth reading.

Since graduating journalism school at Langara College, Shepherd has been a reporter, editor and, reluctantly, a content provider for community newspapers around Metro Vancouver for more than 10 years.

He worked with dogged reporters, eloquently indignant curmudgeons and creative photographers, all of whom shared a little of what they knew.

Now, as he goes about the business of raising two fascinating humans alongside a wonderful partner, Shepherd is delighted to report news and tell stories in the Tri-Cities.

He runs, reads, and is intrigued by art, science, smart cities and new ideas. He is pleased to meet you.