A Christmas Eve incident in Yellowknife turned a hotel lobby into a scene of chaos after a sport utility vehicle smashed through the entrance, resulting in multiple charges for the driver.
Vehicle Plows Through Lobby, Strikes Pedestrians
The dramatic crash occurred on Wednesday, December 24th, at the Explorer Hotel. According to Yellowknife RCMP Cpl. Josh Seaward, the SUV entered the lobby, striking four individuals before coming to a final stop against the elevator shaft at the back of the space.
Miraculously, despite the violent nature of the crash, authorities confirmed that no one sustained serious injuries. The event, however, led to a complex rescue operation. Firefighters worked for more than an hour to free six people who had become trapped inside the elevator impacted by the vehicle.
Driver Arrested, Blew Over Three Times Legal Limit
RCMP officers arrested the driver at the scene on suspicion of impaired driving. The suspect was identified as a 60-year-old woman from Yellowknife. Subsequent breathalyzer tests revealed breath samples in excess of three times the legal limit for alcohol consumption.
The woman now faces a series of criminal charges. These include impaired driving offences, four counts of assault with a weapon—corresponding to the four people struck—and one count of mischief over $5,000 for the significant damage caused to the hotel property.
Hotel Operations Continue Amid Repairs
Ben Cox, chief operating officer for Nunastar Properties which operates the Explorer Hotel, expressed relief that the outcome was not more severe. He confirmed that the hotel was able to maintain operations by using a secondary conference entrance while repairs began immediately.
"We obviously knew we needed a new front door because ours was laying about 10 feet into the lobby," Cox stated. He noted that contractors quickly patched the damage and that a temporary solution is in place. New permanent storefront doors for the hotel are expected to be installed within approximately eight weeks.
The Yellowknife RCMP continue their investigation into the precise circumstances leading up to the crash.
