Alcohol a suspected factor in Blatz B-stro crash

RCMP have provided more details on Thursday's crash at Blatz B-stro in Steinbach which saw a car sail through the front window of the restaurant.

Police were called to the establishment at about 12 o'clock that afternoon. Officers arrived to find the front window smashed and an injured patron. Steinbach RCMP Constable Dennis Redikop said at that time that an adult female, who had been inside the restaurant at the time of the crash, was transported to hospital as a precaution, with minor cuts.

He said the driver thought she had hit the brakes, when in fact she laid her foot on the gas pedal.

Police now say the motorist was a 66-year-old woman from Steinbach. Constable Redikop says when she provided a breath sample on their roadside screening device, she blew a warning, which means she was under the legal limit of .08 per cent Blood-Alcohol Concentration level, but over .05 per cent. As a result, she received an automatic suspension under the Highway Traffic Act and because of previous impaired charges, she received a 15-day license suspension. 

"Alcohol is suspected to be a factor due to the roadside screening device," says Redikop.

The woman was also charged for Careless Driving under the Highway Traffic Act, which includes a serious offence notice, meaning her license will be reviewed by Manitoba Public Insurance. 

According to Redikop, the woman, who was the lone occupant in the vehicle, was not injured.