iN VIDEO: RCMP release convicted B.C. drunk driver's terrifying dashcam video

With the holidays approaching, the Burnaby RCMP has released dashcam footage of a drunk driver narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic and eventually smashing into a fire hydrant. 

The video was recorded, Jan. 8, and was captured by the impaired driver’s own dashcam as he travelled from Richmond to Vancouver and into Burnaby.

The video was later seized by police after a search warrant was executed, according to the RCMP.

It shows the driver crossing the centre line towards oncoming traffic multiple times, narrowly missing other vehicles. The video also shows the driver blowing through a stop sign and driving through a red light.

Police were first alerted to the situation around 11:57 p.m. on that January day when several callers reported a Cadillac Escalade hit parked vehicles and a fire hydrant near Royal Oak Avenue and Marine Drive, sending water onto the street and into nearby homes, according to the RCMP.

Despite the crashes, the driver kept driving. The dashcam video shows the driver continuing along the road in an oncoming lane before crashing into a stop sign.

The driver finally came to a stop near Gilley Avenue and Marine Drive around 12:03 a.m. as Burnaby RCMP officers arrived. By then, the SUV was badly damaged and was missing a tire, according to the RCMP.

The driver refused to provide a breath sample and did not cooperate with police.

In August, a 62-year old Burnaby resident was convicted of impaired driving. He received a one-year driving prohibition and a $1,000 fine.

The actions of the driver caused an estimated $28,000 in flooding damage to nearby homes and more than $6,600 in damage to city property.

“It is shocking that nobody was killed or injured including the driver,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP, in a statement. “This driver made a decision to put himself and others at risk when he got behind the wheel that night and drove through three cities. Burnaby RCMP is sharing the video in hopes it may deter others from drinking and driving.

The holiday season brings with it the RCMP's annual December CounterAttack campaign. Police are urging drivers to make the responsible decision to plan a safe ride home.

On average, 16 people are killed and 830 injured in 1,500 impaired driving-related crashes in the Lower Mainland every year, according to the RCMP.

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