On March 21st, 2025, the Greater Sudbury Police Service Integrated Traffic Safety Unit conducted Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E.) spot checks in Chelmsford and Minnow Lake as part of an ongoing effort to ensure road safety and enforce driver sobriety.

During the operation, officers screened 146 drivers, resulting in several charges and suspensions. These included three charges of Impaired Driving, two for Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) exceeding 80 mg, three 90-day licence suspensions, two 3-day licence suspensions for drivers in the warn range, one charge for open alcohol and one charge for distracted driving.

In Chelmsford, a vehicle approached the R.I.D.E. check at a high rate of speed, coming to an abrupt stop and narrowly avoiding a collision with a parked police cruiser that had its emergency lights activated. The driver was stopped and subsequently arrested for Operation While Impaired. They were taken to police headquarters, where breath samples revealed BAC readings well above the legal limit.

In Minnow Lake, a vehicle approaching the R.I.D.E. checkpoint was seen performing a U-turn and speeding away from the scene. Officers initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle failed to stop and ran a red light while speeding. Officers discontinued the pursuit to ensure public safety. A short time later, the vehicle was spotted again, and another attempt to stop it was made, but once again, the driver failed to pull over. The driver has been identified, and a warrant has been issued for their arrest on charges of Dangerous Operation, Flight from Peace Officer (x2), and Disobeying a Red Light – Fail to Stop.

The driver’s name cannot be released as the information has not yet been sworn to through the court process.

Our officers remain committed to both proactively and reactively addressing impaired driving through proactive patrols and dedicated enforcement efforts, including but not limited to the R.I.D.E. campaign. GSPS also relies on the support of community members who call 9-1-1 to report suspected impaired drivers.

Please make the responsible choice and plan ahead for a safe ride home. Drive safe, drive sober.

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