Impaired drivers near Kapuskasing kept northern police busy last month

Some not getting the message on impaired driving Since the start of the Festive RIDE campaign in mid-November provincial police in our region have charged 87 people with impaired driving.

A series of impaired driving incidents near Kapuskasing, Ont., late last month kept Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) busy.

Provincial police in the region responded to four impaired driving incidents in only a few days to end the month.

A call from the public regarding a suspected impaired driver on Highway 11 led to impaired driving charges on July 27.

At about 6:30 p.m., provincial police responded to the call, locating and stopping the suspect vehicle in the east end of Kapuskasing.

“Upon speaking with the driver, police determined that they had been consuming an alcoholic beverage,” police said in a news release.

“The driver was arrested and transported to the Kapuskasing detachment for further testing.”

As a result of the investigation, a 50-year-old local resident is facing two impaired driving charges.

“Your calls make a difference – if you suspect impaired driving, report it immediately,” said OPP in a related social media post.

Less than two hours later at about 8 p.m., members of the same James Bay OPP detachment responded to a separate traffic complaint in Departure Lake, about 50 kilometres east of Kapuskasing.

Officers located and stopped the vehicle on Departure Lake Road.

“The driver's licence had been suspended from a previous recent impaired driving charge,” said police in a news release.

While speaking with the driver police determined that he had again been consuming alcohol before driving and transported him to a local detachment for further testing.

As a result of this investigation, a 21-year-old man from Smooth Rock Falls is facing two impaired driving charges and a charge for driving while under suspension.

The next day, mid-afternoon near 3 p.m., the OPP unit responded to another traffic complaint in the Town of Kapuskasing.

The complaint reported to police that a vehicle on Bonnieview Road was “swerving and not able to maintain their lane,” according to a subsequent news release.

“Police located the driver and vehicle, and upon speaking with the driver, police determined that they had been consuming an intoxicating substance,” said the OPP.

Officers again transported the driver to the Kapuskasing detachment to conduct further testing.

Based on those tests and the police investigation, the driver, a 60-year-old local man has been charged with two offences related with operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Later, on July 30 at about 11 p.m., James Bay OPP received another traffic complaint in Kapuskasing.

As a result of the complaint, officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in on Sheppard Avenue, according to the news release.

Police spoke with the driver and determined he was impaired by an intoxicating substance and therefore he was brought into custody for further testing.

As a result of the investigation, the 34-year-old male driver from Moonbeam, Ont., was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs along with additional charges for failing to surrender his license and vehicle permit.

In addition to charges

In addition to the charges, the four northern Ontario drivers also had their licenses suspended for 90 days and the vehicles involved were impounded by police for seven days at the owner’s expense.

All accused were released and are scheduled to appear in court in Kapuskasing on Sept. 9.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

“The OPP remains committed to ensuring our roads are safe from impaired drivers,” said police in social media posts related to the incidents.

“Your vigilance keeps our roads safe. Report impaired drivers.”