Northern Ont. driver charged with stunt driving following road confrontation

An undated police image of an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser in a rural area. (File photo/Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

A 34-year-old northern Ontario driver is facing a stunt driving charge following an incident involving two vehicles in Espanola earlier this month.

Ontario Provincial Police say officers responded to a call near Centre Street and James Street at about 12:30 p.m. on March 4.

“The caller reported that another driver began brake checking their vehicle before stopping in the middle of the roadway, exiting their vehicle and yelling at the caller,” police said in a news release.

OPP said a child was in the caller’s vehicle at the time of the incident.

Officers subsequently located the involved vehicle in the area and conducted a traffic stop.

As a result of the investigation, a 34-year-old from Espanola was charged with stunt driving.

In addition to the charge, OPP impounded the vehicle involved for 14 days and the driver’s licence was suspended for 30 days.

A Provincial Summons was issued to the driver, who is scheduled to appear in court on March 26.

Court-imposed penalties for stunt driving may include a fine of up to $10,000, a driver’s licence suspension of up to three years and/or up to six months in jail. Drivers face a minimum first-time fine for stunt driving of $2,000 upon conviction. Motorist convicted of stunt driving may also face six demerit points, higher insurance costs and a mandatory driver improvement course.