Impaired Driver Charged After Totaling SUV

Driving while impaired is a criminal choice with potentially serious or even fatal consequences. You are not only putting your own life at risk, you are risking the lives of everyone else on the road.

Unfortunately, we continue to see a rise in the number of impaired drivers on our roadways, more specifically those impaired by drug. In 2019, our Drug Recognition Experts conducted 39 Drug Recognition Evaluations resulting in 31 criminal charges. In 2020, our Drug Recognition Experts conducted 95 Drug Recognition Evaluations resulting in 88 criminal charges.

The following occurred over the weekend and fortunately no one was injured, however this incident could have been devastating.

Just before 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, 2021, we received a call of a single vehicle collision on Bancroft Drive near Second Avenue.

Information provided was that vehicle was traveling westbound on Bancroft Drive towards Second Avenue when the vehicle struck and knocked over a traffic light pole continued swerving through the intersection and then struck a second pole, totaling the SUV.

When Officers arrived on scene, they spoke with the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle who had been cleared medically by City of Greater Sudbury Paramedics. The driver showed obvious signs of impairment.

The Officers administered an Approved Screening Device and the driver registered a score of “0” leading the Officers to believe that the driver was impaired by Drug. The Officers conducted a Standard Field Sobriety Test that resulted in the driver being arrested for Impaired Operation by Drug.

The driver was transported to Police headquarters where a Drug Recognition Expert completed a Drug Recognition Evaluation confirming that the driver was impaired by drugs.

The driver has been charged with Impaired Operation by Drug and Dangerous Operation as a result of the incident.