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Police Notebook: Distracted driving causes fatality

On July 18 at 11:27 a.m., Cochrane RCMP were dispatched to a single vehicle rollover on Range Road 32 north of Township Road 250 in the Springbank area.

On July 18 at 11:27 a.m., Cochrane RCMP were dispatched to a single vehicle rollover on Range Road 32 north of Township Road 250 in the Springbank area.

The vehicle was travelling southbound on Range Road 32 when it lost control and rolled into the east ditch, striking a power pole.

There were five occupants in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The driver and one passenger were ejected from the vehicle.

The driver, an 18-year-old man, was pronounced dead on scene by Calgary EMS. Emergency Services extracted the three passengers left in the vehicle. All four passengers were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

At this time, distracted driving is believed to be the cause of the collision.

The driver of the vehicle was not wearing his seatbelt at the time. Alcohol and drug use are not believed to be factors, say police.

This collision is still under investigation by the Cochrane RCMP and the Calgary Medical Examiner’s Office.

The identity of the deceased man has not been released pending notification of next of kin.

On July 20 about 7 p.m., Cochrane RCMP and Cochrane Fire and EMS responded to a report of a 42-year-old woman who was found floating face down in the Ghost Lake. RCMP and civilians performed CPR until EMS arrived.

The investigation has been turned over to the medical examiner’s office and the RCMP will continue to assist as required.

The woman has been identified as Bernadette Gail Saddleback of Morley.

She was transported to the Foothills Hospital where she was placed on life support. At 7 a.m. the next day, the woman died in hospital. The RCMP has determined that the death is not suspicious in nature.

Over the weekend of July 16 and 17, the Chestermere RCMP responded to a number of occurrences involving thefts from vehicles, theft of vehicles and some minor mischief to vehicles.

“Residents are asked to keep a watch on their property and that of their neighbours,” said Chestermere RCMP S/Sgt. Glenn Henry.

“Programs such as Block Watch and Citizens On Patrol are helpful, but if you note suspicious activity, you are asked to call 911 right away to report this activity to the Chestermere RCMP.”

Henry said the Chestermere RCMP is making the following recommendations to the public to limit these types of criminal offences:

1) Ensure any valuables are removed from your vehicle, especially wallets or anything containing personal information and check to make sure the vehicle is locked.

2) Remove any electronic garage door openers from your vehicle. While they are convenient inside the vehicle, they are vulnerable to theft and can allow entry to your home, or at the very least allow easy access to items inside the garage.

3) Ensure your garage door remains closed at all times limiting the easy access to the items in your garage as well as your vehicle.

4) If possible, keep exterior lights on overnight outside your home. Several models of energy efficient light bulbs are now available that help to reduce the extra electrical costs.

5) Consider installing a device such as The Club to prevent vehicle theft. While such devices can be removed, typically thieves will move on to another, much easier target when confronted with such anti-theft devices.

6) Mark your valuables with specific identifiers such as your drivers licence number or record existing serial numbers to assist with identifying your property when recovered by the police.

7) Most importantly, report any suspicious activity immediately to your local RCMP. Do not confront any suspicious looking people, but rather try and give a detailed description of the people and the direction they went to the RCMP dispatcher. Consider taking photos or video to assist the police later in identifying the suspects.

If you have information regarding any crime, contact the your local RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards up to $2,000 for information that leads to an arrest, recovery of stolen property or the seizure of illegal drugs. Crime Stoppers doesn’t subscribe to call display and the identity of the caller will remain anonymous.


Airdrie Today Staff

About the Author: Airdrie Today Staff

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