Ottawa drunk driver caught riding e-bike on Highway 417

An electric motorbike driver was charged for driving drunk on the highway on June 10, 2024. (OPP/X)

Ontario Provincial Police charged an alleged impaired driver who was caught travelling on an electric-powered motorbike on Highway 417 in Ottawa.

An OPP news release says officers stopped the driver on Monday shortly after 5 p.m. in Ottawa's east end.

A 41-year-old man on the bike was allegedly found to be impaired by alcohol and received five criminal charges, including operation while impaired and for riding an electric motorbike on a controlled-access highway.

In addition, the man was found to be driving on a suspended licence.

He received an additional 90-day drivers licence suspension and his bike was impounded for 45-days. He is set to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on July 5.

E-bikes are illegal to ride on 400-series highways in Ontario, including the Queensway in Ottawa.