A 36-year-old woman from Minnesota is facing multiple charges after police say she drove past a flagging person holding a stop sign and entered a closed section of Highway 17 at the Steel River Bridge, near Marathon, Ont. The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. on July 30, while Ontario Provincial Police officers were conducting a collision investigation on the highway. OPP said the driver failed to stop for the person carrying out traffic control at the scene. Driver stopped by police “The driver drove down the closed highway before being stopped by police,” OPP said in a news release. Following the stop, police initiated an impaired driving investigation. Multiple charges laid As a result of the incident, the woman has been charged with impaired driving, driving a motor vehicle with cannabis readily available, failing or refusing to comply with a demand, driving on a closed highway and failing to surrender a driver’s licence. In addition to the charges, the woman received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension and the vehicle involved was impounded for seven days. The accused was released from custody. However, she is scheduled to appear in court in Marathon on Sept. 10. Police urge public to report impaired driving Provincial police used the incident to remind the public to promptly report suspected impaired drivers. “If you have an urgent traffic complaint or if you suspect someone is driving while their ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired by drugs or alcohol, please call 911 immediately,” OPP said.
