A team of Mounties named after a child killed by a drunk driver removed almost 13,000 drunk drivers from B.C. roads last year.
Formed four years ago, Alexa's Team was named after four-and-a-half year old Alexa Middelaer, who was killed at the side of the road in east Ladner while feeding a horse with her aunt in 2008.
Carol Berner was convicted of two counts of dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm and two counts of impaired driving causing death and bodily harm and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison with a five-year driving prohibition. She appealed the conviction and sentence and a decision is pending.
Shortly after the crash, Alexa's team was formed. It has grown from 26 officers to 355, who removed 12,923 impaired drivers from the road in 2011.
On Tuesday (April 24), BCAA and ICBC honoured 10 officers from Surrey in recognition of their diligence in tackling drunk driving.
To be nominated for Alexa's Team, police officers must have removed at least 12 impaired drivers from the road in the previous calendar year through a criminal charge investigation or the new Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) administrative process, in addition to issuing Administrative Driving Prohibitions, IRP Fails, and IRP Refusals.
Since 2008, Alexa’s Team members have processed 32,743 impaired driving charges or penalties against drivers in violation of B.C’s impaired driving laws.
“The 355 RCMP and municipal police department members of Alexa’s Team demonstrate a real commitment by the police to remove impaired drivers from B.C.’s roads,” Insp. Ted Emanuels, RCMP Traffic Services Operations Officer for the Lower Mainland said. “Fatalities from impaired driving in RCMP jurisdictions dropped by 40 per cent in 2011, from 125 in 2010 to a historic low of 74. This significant decrease can be attributed in part to the efforts of these dedicated police officers.”
The Surrey officers honoured include:
1. Const. Raymond Lee - All-Star
2. Cpl. Bryan Fedirchuk
3. Const. Joe McGhee
4. Const. Jamie Raison
5. Const. David Toews
6. Const. Meleady
7. Const. Chris Waterhouse
8. Cpl. Kurt Rosenberg
9. Const. Jose Oliveira
10. Const Cory Kornicki
For more information about the BCAA Road Safety Foundation and how you can help fight impaired driving visit www.BCAARoadSafety.com.