Trucker fined $1K after leaving vehicle and going for drive with friend, police say

The driver of a tractor trailer was issued a $1,000 ticket Monday for violating Prince Edward Island's Public Health Act, Charlottetown police say.

They said the driver, a 26-year-old man from Ontario, had just arrived on P.E.I. and was scheduled to drop off his load of merchandise at a store on University Avenue.

According to a news release issued Tuesday, the man got out of his truck and got into another vehicle and went for a drive with a friend from P.E.I. He later returned to his truck and drove away from the property before police arrived. 

Truck drivers arriving from off-Island are required to remain in their vehicles at all times while making deliveries, to reduce the chances of passing COVID-19 on to local residents, police said.

Charlottetown Deputy Chief Brad MacConnell said officers were tipped off by a concerned staff member at the store.

He said the employee "was concerned when they'd seen him leave the truck, knowing that he was supposed to remain in the cab as he was from out of province. So the staff member called police with their concern and we immediately followed up on the information."

With the help of the City of Charlottetown's E-Watch cameras, police were able to determine the direction the truck was going, locate it and pull it over.

The investigation in relation to the driver who picked up the truck driver is ongoing.

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