Driver charged with impaired, accessible cannabis, open liquor after Hwy. 17 crash

Ontario Provincial Police towed and impounded a vehicle following a crash on Highway 17. Officers located the vehicle off the roadway, down an embankment in a ditch. OPP said that their investigation determined that alcohol was a factor in the collision. (Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

A 55-year-old woman from Orleans faces multiple charges after a single-vehicle crash on Highway 17 that Ontario Provincial Police say involved alcohol.

OPP responded to the crash in Calvin Township, about 40 kilometres southeast of North Bay, at about 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 following a 911 call reporting a suspected impaired driver in the area.

“Officers responded and located the vehicle off the roadway, down an embankment in the eastbound ditch,” OPP said in a news release.

Police spoke with the driver, who was still inside the vehicle and uninjured.

“Officers determined that alcohol was a factor in the collision,” said police.

The driver was taken into custody and transported to the North Bay OPP detachment for further testing.

As a result of the investigation, the motorist has been charged with driving a vehicle with cannabis readily available, driving a motor vehicle with an open container of liquor and three impaired driving offences – having a blood alcohol concentration of more than 80 and a BAC above zero as a novice driver.

In addition to the charges, the woman also received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension and the crashed vehicle was impounded for a minimum of seven days.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 17.

Police appeal to public

“Impaired driving remains one of the most significant threats to road safety in Ontario,” said OPP.

Provincial police urge anyone who suspects a driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs to call 911 immediately.

“Let’s keep our roads safe,” added OPP Const. Kyler Brouwer in a related social media post.