Sault woman faces impaired, drug charges after 911 complaint

Pills spill out of a cylindrical container attached to a keyring while syringes and sunglasses are strewn about in this stock photo illustrating the concept of drug impaired driving. (File photo/Darwin Brandis/iStock Photos)

Police in Sault Ste. Marie have charged a 42-year-old woman with impaired driving and drug possession following a 911 complaint.

Police said officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Second Line East shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday after 911 operators received a report of a driver who appeared to be using drugs in a vehicle in a parking lot.

“Upon speaking with the driver, who identified themself as the accused, an investigation revealed they were driving while under suspension,” the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said in a news release.

Police said officers developed grounds to believe the driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired by drugs and took them into custody.

A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up about 0.71 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately 0.67 grams of suspected cocaine.

“The accused was transported to the Police Services Building for an evaluation by a drug recognition expert, which determined the accused was impaired by drug,” police said.

As a result of the investigation, the woman is charged with two counts of drug possession, one count of driving while under suspension and two impaired driving offences.

In addition to the charges, under provincial law, the woman’s driver’s licence was automatically suspended for 90 days and the vehicle involved was impounded for seven days.

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 10.