Pickup in ditch along Hwy. 11 leads to impaired charges

A glass of liquor with ice, car keys and police handcuffs are shown in this stock photo illustrating impaired driving. (File photo/AlexRaths/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

A 48-year-old local man is facing multiple charges after a single-vehicle collision on Highway 11 in the Township of Moonbeam led to an impaired driving investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police.

OPP said officers responded to the scene just after 5:20 p.m. on May 8, following reports that a pickup truck had left the roadway.

“A pickup truck had left the roadway and came to rest in a ditch on the south side of the highway,” police said in a news release.

Driver fled before OPP arrived

OPP said when officers arrived, the driver was no longer at the scene.

The driver was located shortly afterward at a nearby residence. OPP said that further investigation confirmed the person was the driver of the Ford F150 in the ditch.

Police said the officers observed signs of impairment. OPP placed the man under arrest and transported him to the Kapuskasing detachment for further testing.

Charges, penalties

As a result, the motorist has been charged with failing to stop after an accident along with two impaired driving offences, including operation with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

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

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Kapuskasing on July 6.

Report impaired drivers

“OPP reminds the public that if they suspect someone is driving while impaired, to call 911,” said Const. Mercedes Lalonde, in a social media post detailing the incident.