Suspected impaired driver arrested after van rams vehicles, garage in Glenmore

Photo: Contributed

A van driven by a suspected drunk driver repeatedly rammed into a garage on Edgehill Court early Monday.

A woman was taken into custody after a series of incidents involving a suspected drunk driver in Kelowna’s Glenmore neighbourhood.

Kelowna RCMP were called to the 1800-block of Edgehill Court just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, to reports of an impaired driver.

A video posted to the Glenmore (Kelowna) Community Group shows a Pontiac Montana van hitting what appears to be a brick-edged flower bed outside one home. The van then backs up and rams the barrier again before finally driving away.

It didn’t go far, though. Another Glenmore resident commented on the video with a photo showing the same vehicle nose-first into the crumpled garage door of a house right around the corner.

Melissa says the van also hit a neighbour’s car and her husband’s truck before slamming into her house on Edgehill Court.

“When we got woken up around 12:25 a.m, we heard the biggest crash. Our dog sort of alerted us and then we weren’t sure what it was. It was just a really loud bang,” says Melissa.

She says that they didn’t know if someone was causing a ruckus or breaking into their house. The driver kept putting the van in neutral and then hitting the gas, repeatedly hitting the house, and running over a large planter before her husband managed to roll down the window, put the van in park and take the keys away from the driver.

Melissa's car was stuck in the garage for most of the day Monday while the house was assessed to make sure the garage didn’t collapse. She says it’s going to be at least eight weeks before ICBC completes its investigation and clears the way for the garage to be repaired.

“It was quite the scene,” she adds.

Kelowna RCMP told Castanet the investigation into the incident is still being put together to be forwarded to prosecutors which will decide whether to proceed with charges.