Seatbelt safety on display as allegedly impaired Williams Lake man crashes on police video

Two seatbelt tickets, a driving prohibition, and a bleeding scalp requiring stitches were the results of a strange crash in Williams Lake that could have been much worse.

On July 20, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., a BC Highway Patrol officer on Mackenzie Avenue South saw both the driver of a white Ford F250 and the driver of a grey Toyota Camry without seatbelts. When the officer turned around to pull them over, the driver of the Toyota Camry collided into the rear of the Ford F250.

The BC Highway Patrol officer started by checking the driver of the Toyota Camry. His head was bleeding liberally after smashing his own windshield, says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. The driver blew two ‘fail’ readings on an Approved Screening Device. Those readings were evidence that he was impaired by alcohol.

The 28-year-old Williams Lake man driving the Toyota Camry was issued:

• A Notice of Driving Prohibition;
• A vehicle impound;
• A ticket for fail to wear a seatbelt, section 220(4) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), for a fine of $167;
• A ticket for drive without due care and attention, section 144(1)(b) of the BC MVA ($368)

The 19-year-old Big Creek woman who was driving the Ford F250 received:

• A ticket for fail to wear a seatbelt;
• Minor or no injuries because her seatbelt was back on for the collision.

This relatively low-speed collision, captured by police video, shows the importance of seatbelt safety and driving sober, says Corporal McLaughlin. The sober and belted driver walked away. The allegedly impaired driver did not see the police lights, did not react to avoid the hugely obvious truck in front of him, and would have died at highway speed.