No jail time after flight from police conviction
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on February 2, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
A 44-year-old woman who fled from police in a vehicle has received a sentence that will allow her to attend treatment facilities rather than go to jail.
Andrea Dawn Miller pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court to charges of flight from police and dangerous driving. She was handed a 10-month conditional sentence, during which she must, among other conditions, be assessed and receive treatment and counselling for alcohol and drug abuse. She is also prohibited from driving for one year.
On July 8 of last year a Lethbridge police officer noticed a black car parked at a gas station on 9 Avenue North. The officer recognized Miller from previous arrests and checked the vehicle’s licence plate, which he discovered had been stolen. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren, but Miller took off, driving over a grass boulevard and speeding south on Stafford Drive.
The officer stopped chasing Miller, but another officer responding to assist saw Miller travelling down Stafford Drive at a high rate of speed.
“That officer was forced to create a block with his police vehicle to prevent two children from being struck in a crosswalk near the intersection of Stafford Drive and 7 Avenue North,” Crown Prosecutor Sheena Campbell told court.
As part of her conditional sentence order, Miller must reside at the Bringing the Spirit Home detox centre in Standoff, at which she is currently living. She has also been approved for a bed at the Lander Treatment Centre in Claresholm, which she is scheduled to attend for about 40 days beginning this month.
Lethbridge lawyer Tracy Hembroff said her client has long struggled with addictions, but has made significant progress recently in her efforts to become sober.
“The last couple of months have been pretty transformational,” Hembroff said.
Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter
4-3
So two months being held, then 40 days of treatment. Then what? Does the Blood Reserve have any sober housing for those just out of treatment?