B.C. drunk driver thanks officer for catching him, asks for hug: RCMP

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck).

Mounties say an impaired driver who was handed a 90-day roadside prohibition in Langford, B.C., thanked the officer for catching him and asked for a hug.

A West Shore RCMP patrol officer was investigating a separate matter in the 2600-block of Sooke Road on Wednesday when he saw a black Jeep Cherokee drive over a grassy median and head westbound on Sooke Road.

The officer turned his attention to the erratic driver and pulled over the Jeep, police said in a release Thursday.

The 23-year-old driver showed signs of alcohol intoxication and failed a roadside breath test, police said.

The man was issued a 90-day driving prohibition and his vehicle was ordered impounded for 30 days.

The RCMP officer drove the man home. Upon arriving at his door, the impaired driver thanked the officer and asked for a hug, police said in the release.

"We don’t often get thanked for the job we do, especially by those who find themselves on the opposite side of the law," said West Shore RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Nancy Saggar.

"It was nice for the officer and for the rest of us at West Shore RCMP to hear this."

Mounties are reminding drivers to expect more roadside impairment checks as the holiday season approaches.