Just after midnight yesterday, a woman driving a Porsche was seen speeding northbound on Clark. Realizing that she hadn’t stopped for a red light at E. Hastings, the driver stopped in the middle of the intersection, backed up, then took off again. She side-swiped another vehicle, and carried on northbound to Powell, where she tried to make a right turn at high speed. The Porsche crossed the westbound lanes and collided with a metal lamp post, coming to a resting point in the middle of Powell and blocking both directions of traffic. Debris from the front end of the car covered the road.

The driver of the vehicle that was side-swiped stopped to help the woman from her car. She appeared to be intoxicated and there were numerous bottles of alcohol in the car. Once she was able to stand, she fled on foot.

Vancouver Police officers went to the registered owner’s address in North Vancouver and arrested a 30-year-old woman they believe was the driver. They took the unlicensed driver to the North Vancouver RCMP detachment, where she provided a breath sample three times the legal limit.

During the testing, the driver mentioned that she had recently been out of the country, but believed she was exempt from the Quarantine Act due to the nature of her work.

The driver is facing charges of impaired driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. She was also given a ticket for not having a valid driver’s licence, an unlicensed driver prohibition, and a seven-day vehicle impoundment. In addition, CBSA and Public Health Canada are investigating the possible breach of the Quarantine Act.

October 8, 2020 UPDATE: The Public Health Agency of Canada determined that the driver is not exempt under the Quarantine Act. She was issued a $1000 ticket under s.58 of the Act, and instructed to quarantine for the required time period.