A 49-year-old man from Serpent River has been charged with several offences after a vehicle hit a tree in the Town of Spanish early Sunday morning. Police say the impaired driver not only had a suspended licence, but he fled the scene, leaving an injured passenger alone in the vehicle. Ontario Provincial Police responded around 2 a.m. Nov. 8 to reports of a vehicle that had crashed after entering a ditch. Struck a tree “OPP responded to multiple reports of an SUV that had left the roadway, entered a ditch, and struck a tree on John Street in the Town of Spanish,” police said in a news release Nov. 9. “Upon arrival, officers determined that the driver had left the scene. The passenger, who sustained injuries, was treated by Algoma Paramedic Services and transported to hospital.” A search quickly located the suspected driver on John Street, who was also taken to hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the single-vehicle crash. Charges for the Serpent River suspect include driving while impaired by alcohol, two counts of driving while prohibited, dangerous driving, driving while suspended and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Blind River on Dec. 12. “The OPP is committed to keeping Ontario roads safe and encourages members of the public to report suspected impaired drivers or dangerous driving behaviours by calling 911 when it is safe to do so,” police said.
