Northern Ont. man charged after refusing to provide breath sample: OPP

Handcuffs, car keys and a full mug of beer are pictured with the Ontario Provinicial Police logo and the caption 'Impaired Driving Arrest.' (File photo/Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

A 34-year-old man from Blind River is facing multiple charges, including impaired driving, after Ontario Provincial Police say he refused to provide a breath sample last week.

This incident marked the 45th impaired driving charge laid by the East Algoma OPP detachment this year.

Incident details

Police observed a black pickup truck travelling on North Street in the Town of Blind River at about 1:40 a.m. on Nov. 6.

“The vehicle then turned onto Causley Street, where the driver cut off another motorist,” said OPP in a news release.

Officers followed the pickup truck onto Lakeside Avenue, where they saw it slowly back into a driveway before the driver got out.

“During the interaction, officers determined the driver had consumed alcohol and subsequently placed the individual under arrest,” said police.

Charges laid

The driver was taken to the Blind River OPP detachment, where he refused to provide a breath sample.

As a result, the 34-year-old man was charged with impaired driving, failure or refusal to comply with a demand and operation of a motor vehicle while prohibited.

In addition to the charges, under provincial law, all motorists charged with refusing to comply with a demand face the same immediate sanctions as those charged with impaired driving.

Therefore, he also received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension and the vehicle involved was impounded for seven days.

The accused was held in custody pending a bail hearing.

“The OPP is committed to keeping roads safe from impaired drivers, who continue to pose a serious risk on Ontario highways,” said police to conclude the news release.