‘Unsafe and illegal’: Suspended Ont. driver charged after ice road drinking session, police say

An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle is shown driving down a snow covered highway in this undated image. (File photo/Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

A 36-year-old woman is facing multiple charges after Ontario Provincial Police found a vehicle parked on an ice road early Saturday morning with open alcohol inside.

Police said that OPP officers located a vehicle parked with an alcohol container tossed underneath it approximately 20 metres from the start of the ice road off Van Horne Avenue in Dryden. The patrol then conducted a traffic stop.

“I conducted the traffic stop just after 3 a.m. CST,” OPP Const. Chris Chevrier said in an email to CTV News on Sunday.

Officers found numerous empty alcohol containers stuffed into the seat back and the driver provided their second ‘alert range’ reading on a roadside screening device.

“Heading out onto the ice road to ‘enjoy a couple cold ones’ isn’t just unsafe – it’s illegal,” OPP said in a social media post outlining the incident.

“Ice roads are not a place to drink and drive or dump garbage.”

The driver, who resides only minutes from where the vehicle was parked, was also found to be driving while under suspension.

As a result, the motorist has been charged with driving while under suspension, driving with open liquor and abandoning material likely to become litter.

In addition to the charges, under new provincial legislation effective Jan. 1, the woman was also issued a 14-day licence suspension. Additionally, she will have to attend a 16-hour alcohol treatment program and was fined a minimum of $350.

The accused will attend court to answer the charges at a later date.

Unacceptable behaviour

Police emphasized that such behaviour puts everyone at risk, including first responders who must attend when things go wrong.

“Let’s keep our community safe,” Chevrier said in the post.

“Make responsible choices and help protect our lakes and ice roads.”

The fact that the driver lives only minutes from the offence location “makes it even more unacceptable,” added Chevrier in his email to CTV News.

RELATED STORIES:

• Ontario trucker charged for driving unsafe vehicle after crash: OPP
• Toronto men charged in drug investigation in northwestern Ont.
• Weekend sees several northwestern Ont. motorists charged with impaired