VICTORIA -- An alleged impaired driver may end up facing criminal charges after he was spotted driving while under the influence of alcohol in a school zone in Port McNeill Thursday.

Port McNeill RCMP say they received witness reports of a drunk driver in the school zone area on Thursday afternoon.

When officers arrived, they administered a roadside breathalyzer test. Mounties say the driver “didn't think we would breath test him due to COVID-19. He was wrong.”

The man blew “in excess of” 3.5 times the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving. Police then impounded his vehicle and revoked his driver’s licence.

Mounties say he is scheduled to appear in provincial court in March, and may face criminal charges for impaired driving.

“We would like to remind everyone to call 911 when reporting impaired drivers,” said Port McNeill RCMP in a social media post Thursday. “The more information you can give the dispatcher regarding the driver, vehicle and direction of travel, the better.”