Driver asleep at wheel in Sault Ste. Marie faces more than half a dozen charges

A 34-year-old man in Sault Ste. Marie is facing a series of charges, including impaired and dangerous driving, after police found him asleep at the wheel at a city intersection last week. (File)

A 34-year-old man in Sault Ste. Marie is facing a series of charges, including impaired and dangerous driving, after police found him asleep at the wheel at a city intersection last week.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service responded to a 911 call around 8 a.m. on Friday regarding a driver asleep behind the wheel at the intersection of Creekside Lane and Farwell Terrace.

“Upon arrival, officers located the driver still asleep inside the vehicle, which was running and in drive,” said police in a news release.

“The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and had a cellphone in their hand with an open text message conversation.”

More than half a dozen charges

After waking the driver, officers said “developed grounds to believe their ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.”

A subsequent search found approximately two grams of suspected fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

The accused was transported to the Police Services Building on Second Line East for breath samples, which detected no alcohol. Later evaluation by a drug recognition expert concluded the man was impaired by drugs.

As a result, the motorist now faces charges of dangerous operation, drug possession, driving while using a handheld communication device, failing to properly wear a seatbelt and driving without a licence along with two impaired driving offences.

In addition to the charges, under provincial law, the man also received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension and the vehicle involved was impounded for seven days.

The accused was released on an appearance notice and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 19.