Last month Carman Area RCMP Detachment was kept busy with traffic-related collisions, many occuring in Carman.

Officers responded to a motor vehicle collision on main street in Carman on May 23. The driver struck a vehicle, parked, and then went inside a gas station for a coffee. Officers attended and arrested the 71 year old driver and she has since been charged with impaired driving.

That same day, a 92 year old woman drove into several vehicles in downtown Carman. The elderly driver had confused the accelerator and brake pedals.

On May 25, Carman RCMP responded to a complaint of an SUV driving into oncoming traffic on the divided main street in Carman, colliding with another vehicle. No one was injured as a result of that collision, however, medical issues with the elderly driver of the SUV played a factor in the circumstances leading up to the incident.

May 28, RCMP were dispatched to a vehicle that was abandoned in downtown Carman. Investigating officers determined the vehicle had been driven the wrong way on a one-way street. The occupant(s) had abandoned the vehicle and officers continue to investigate.

During May, in the Carman area alone, 65 drivers were either charged or warned under the highway traffic act for a variety of offences, such as not wearing seatbelts or speeding.

With the magnitude of road construction on main street in the town of Carman, the requirement for people to drive with care and attention is magnified.

Carman area RCMP have stepped up police presence and traffic enforcement to better ensure the safety of citizens and road workers. This includes increased laser and radar speed enforcement in school zones.

There were also two vehicle related deaths, that occurred in May, involving alcohol.

A single vehicle rollover on highway 13 north of Carman led to the death of the 43 year old driver. Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the accident. In the Town of Carman, a male driver was also found deceased as a result of a two-vehicle collision, when the driver of a motorcycle was struck by a pickup truck. The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet. The driver of the pickup truck was arrested and charged with impaired driving causing death.

Finally, RCMP responded to a single vehicle rollover on highway #3 on May 9. The male driver suffered a serious injury and was taken to hospital. Alcohol was not a factor and no charges were laid.