Queen Charlotte RCMP Const. Barbara Clayton was fined $1,000 and prohibited from driving for one year, after pleading guilty to a charge of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The case was dealt with in provincial court in August.
The charge stemmed from an incident in April 2002 in which a southbound vehicle hit a northbound vehicle just north of Skidegate Landing, then drove off the road, down a steep embankment and into the ocean. Const. Clayton was off-duty at the time.
The RCMP conducted its own internal inquiry into the event and as a result, Const. Clayton has chosen to take a leave without pay for up to 12 months, said Sgt. Eric Stubbs of the Queen Charlotte detachment. Part of the reason for the leave is that RCMP officers must be able to drive, he said. Once Const. Clayton's leave is up, she will be transferred to a new detachment off the islands, he added.