SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A woman has been found guilty of being in care and control of a vehicle while impaired by fentanyl in a case police have described as a first-of-its kind in the territory.

RCMP were called to downtown Yellowknife on April 5 where officers found a woman parked while sitting in the driver's seat of a truck with the engine running who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, according to Crown prosecutor Brendan Green.

A blood sample that was tested found she had "drugs" in her system. RCMP didn't state what other drugs were in her blood in a news release Oct. 31 touting the woman's conviction.

The woman's trial was held Oct. 21 in territorial court. The court couldn't prove she was driving the truck but judge Bernadette Schmaltz found her guilty of being in care and control while under the influence. She was sentenced to a $1,200 fine and a year's driving prohibition upon conviction.

"What is concerning is that this case involved not only impaired driving under the influence of drugs but fentanyl was found in the person's system," RCMP spokesperson Marie York-Condon stated in the news release.

"This person faced danger from both drug use and impaired driving. Impaired driving while under the influence of drugs carries the same penalties as alcohol impaired driving, as well as the same risks."

Her comments were echoed by Crown prosecutor Brendan Green, who called fentanyl abuse a "serious public health issue," made all the more dangerous when driving is added to the mix.

"Anyone in control of a vehicle while impaired by drugs could potentially endanger pedestrians and other motorists," Green stated by e-mail.

The territory's court system has seen a number of cases tied to fentanyl over the past year. In late 2015, a man was sentenced to five years in prison for a case that involved trafficking hundreds of fentanyl pills.

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