Regina cop with 9 years experience charged with drunk driving, leaving crash scene

A Regina police officer, who was previously awarded for his investigative work solving a serious hit and run, has been charged with impaired driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.

The charges stem froma crash that happened Wednesday around 10 p.m. CST aroundLewvan Drive and Harbour Landing Drive, according to a Regina police news release.

Constable Scott Ash, who has been a police officerfor nineyears, allegedly crashed into another vehicle while impaired and left the scene.

Officers thenarrested and charged him about half an hour later, saidActing Police Chief Dean Rae.

"We expect all our members to be professional, to uphold the law, and the community expects us toconduct ourselves with a high standard," Raetold reporters after the charges were announced.

"That's the same within our service. So when these incidents occur, it's concerning to us as a service but at the end of the day, we're all human, we all make mistakes."

Ash was off-duty at the time and no injuries were reported.

He has been placed on administrative leave with payand will appear in court on Sept. 10.

An administrative investigation will also take place after the criminal charges have been dealt with, as per provisions of the Police Act.

Ash was one of a group of officers who received a "Teamwork Award" from the Regina Police Service for their "exceptional investigative work in solving a serious hit and run" in 2013, police confirmed.

The last time a Regina police officer was charged with impaired driving was in July of 2016.