Uninsured, unlicensed driver on Ottawa road on Sunday, police say

Red and blue lights atop an Ottawa police vehicle are seen in this undated file photo.

Ottawa police stopped an uninsured and unlicensed driver “out for a Sunday drive” this weekend.

The Ottawa Police Traffic Escort and Enforcement Unit says an officer detected the driver using the Automated License Plate Recognition System on Rideau Street Sunday afternoon.

Police say the driver’s licence expired last September and the permit expired in 2022 for “$705 in unpaid fines.”

“’Just out for a Sunday drive’ isn’t an option when you’re uninsured, unlicensed and have an expired permit,” police said.

Meantime, a 31-year-old Ottawa driver is facing impaired driving-related charges after being stopped at a RIDE checkpoint this weekend.

Ontario Provincial Police said shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, a vehicle approached a RIDE check on Nicholas Street near Highway 417.

“Officers suspected the driver had been consuming alcohol,” police said. “The driver, who was already a suspended driver with a G2 licence, refused to provide a roadside breath sample.”

The driver is facing charges of failure or refusal to comply with a demand, driving while under suspension, driving a motor vehicle with an open container of liquor, novice driver – blood alcohol concentration above zero and novice driver refuse to provide a breath sample.

Police say the driver received a 90-day driving suspension and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.