ON August 15, 2022, at 7:40 p.m., Abbotsford Police responded to a reported motorcycle accident in the 1800-block of Clearbrook Road. The registered owner of the motorcycle was known to police for a history of prohibited and impaired driving offences.

When police arrive at the scene, a passenger of the motorcycle was being treated by first responders for serious injuries. The driver who attempted to flee the scene before police arrival was identified with the assistance of witnesses.

Through the course of the investigation, the driver, 66-year-old Roy Heide, was arrested for driving while prohibited and detained for an impaired driving investigation. Heide’s blood alcohol content was determined to be over two times the legal limit.

On December 18, 2023, Heide pleaded guilty to impaired driving, driving while disqualified and driving while prohibited, receiving a total sentence of four years and 354 days in jail for this incident.

What’s incredibly concerning to police is that this conviction represented Heide’s 21st conviction for impaired driving, which is believed to be the largest number of convictions for impaired driving offences someone has received in Canadian history, according to Constable Art Stele, Media Relations Officer, Abbotsford Police Department.

The Abbotsford Police Department said it continues to make road safety in Abbotsford one of its main priorities. In 2022, Abbotsford Police removed 870 impaired drivers from the roadways. So far in 2023, nearly 800 impaired drivers have been removed.

“Impaired driving can have devastating consequences to innocent road users as a result of an impaired driver’s decision to drive impaired. Our frontline officers continue to be out enforcing impaired driving laws and taking a zero-tolerance approach to driving while impaired. We continue encouraging our community to report possible impaired drivers to the police,” said Sgt. Paul Walker of Abbotsford Police’s Traffic Enforcement Unit.