Mountainside 4x4 accident produces weekend injuries An driver and five of his companions learned the hard way about the seemingly-apparent dangers of late-night off-road driving after an incident on Blackcomb Mountain on the weekend. The 27-year-old Whistler resident faces charges, including impaired driving, failure to remain at the scene of an accident and refusing to provide an alcohol sample, after rolling his 1979 Jeep above the Blackcomb staff housing around 1 a.m. on July 4. Whistler RCMP Constable Warren Tomalty said the driver apparently decided to load up the Jeep and head up the mountain on an access road. The vehicle was stopped en route by a mountain maintenance worker, but still took off and rolled over just a few minutes later. Several passengers were ejected from the vehicle when it crashed and received serious cuts and bruises. Three were taken to the hospital for treatment. Tomalty said the driver further compounded his problems with the law by running from the accident just as police arrived to investigate. He was caught about 150 metres from the scene and arrested. The driver also refused to provide police with a breath sample. An Australian passport was seized at the scene of the accident. The crash produced about $2,000 in damages to the vehicle. Tomalty said the driver will appear in provincial court on Aug. 7. Don't toke and drive While Whistler's laid-back attitude may suggest otherwise, Tomalty said he would also like to remind residents that smoking marijuana remains an illegal act, especially while driving a vehicle. A number of people doing just so were apprehended by RCMP over the weekend during routine traffic stops and will face charges. Tomalty said police also handed out eight 24-hour licence suspensions during alcohol road-checks between July 4 and 6. Assistance sought in recent accident The Whistler RCMP are asking for help in gathering more details on an accident last week which left a 30-year-old man with serious injuries. The man apparently thought he would take a ride on the trunk of a vehicle stopped at Gateway Boulevard on May 28, but when the car accelerated he fell off and landed on his head, requiring an ambulance ride to Vancouver General Hospital and a visit to the neurologist. Police are asking that the driver of the vehicle contact them to assist them with the case, as the man has been left with very serious injuries.
