Novice Ontario driver faces impaired charges after traffic light crash

An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle with its lights flashing accompanied by the OPP crest and the words North Bay. (Facebook/Ontario Provincial Police)

A Sudbury resident is facing multiple impaired driving charges following a single-vehicle crash that knocked out traffic lights at a major intersection in North Bay over the weekend.

Crash knocked out traffic lights

Ontario Provincial Police members, the North Bay Police Service, District of Nipissing Paramedic Services and North Bay Fire and Emergency Services all responded to reports of a collision at the intersection of Highway 11/17 and Fisher Street at about 4:45 a.m. on June 6.

“A vehicle had collided with a traffic control light standard, resulting in the intersection’s traffic lights becoming inoperable,” OPP said in a news release Tuesday.

Police said the driver, a 25-year-old man from Sudbury, was transported to hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries.

Impairment suspected by officers

While officers investigated the circumstances of the crash, police said they noticed behaviour that raised concerns about the driver’s sobriety.

“During the investigation, officers observed signs consistent with alcohol impairment,” said OPP.

Subsequently, the driver was arrested.

Multiple Charges Laid

As a result of the investigation, the motorist has been charged with three impaired driving offences – including operation with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeding 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood and having a BAC above zero as a novice driver.

In addition to the charges, the man’s driver’s licence was automatically suspended for 90 days and hiscar was impounded for seven days.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in North Bay on July 7.

Public reminder against impaired driving

OPP used the incident to emphasize the dangers of impaired driving.

“No amount of alcohol or drugs in your system is safe when driving,” said Const. Kyler Brouwer in a related social media post.