RCMP find crashed pickup truck on fire, and then 2 impaired drivers, police say

RCMPencountered a chaotic situation in Manitoba's Interlake region on Tuesday, and it wasn't just because of a burning vehicle lying in the ditch.

Policewere called just after 6p.m. to a crash on Highway 222, near Road 127 N. (Fins Road) along the western shore of Lake Winnipeg, about 20 kilometres north of Gimli.

Apickup truckhad rolled on its side in the ditch and was on fire. The caller wasn't sureif anyone was still inside, a news release from RCMP said.

When officers arrived, the truck was engulfed and firefighters were trying to extinguish the flames.

Then awoman pulled up in a car and approached the truck, screaming a name, believing that person was inside, the news release said.

It was quickly determined nobody was in the vehicle, but a manhad been spottedwalkingabout a half-kilometre north of the crash scene.

An ambulance and officer went looking and found the man, who refused to allow them to look at his injuries. He was also found to be impaired, police said.

After allegedly trying to prevent police fromarresting him, the 30-year-old man was taken into custody and charged with impaired driving, leaving the scene of a collision andresisting arrest.

As that was happening, the woman who had been at the crash scene drove up. Officers believed her to be impaired as well and administered a test that registered a warning level.

She was cautioned but not charged and officers drove her home.

The cause of the vehicle fire is under investigation, becausepolice don't believe it wascaused by the crash, RCMP said.

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