DRYDEN, Ont. – The OPP have apprehended a driver who allegedly fled police near Dryden over a week ago, who now faces multiple charges.
On April 15, a man drove off at a high rate of speed during a traffic stop on Highway 17 in Southworth Township, east of Dryden, police said. OPP did not pursue the vehicle at the time “in the interest of public safety.”
Officers located the suspect and vehicle Friday around 6:45 a.m. on Highway 72, the OPP reported in a statement, with the incident temporarily closing the highway.
Police reported seizing suspected illicit substances including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, psilocybin, and cannabis, with an estimated street value of almost $22,000.
A 42-year-old Sioux Lookout man now stands charged with flight from a peace officer, obstruction of a peace officer, four counts of possession (schedule I), one count of possession (schedule III), and two counts of possession of over 30 grams dried cannabis in a public place.
Those charges are related to occurrences between March 21 and April 15, police said, and came following an investigation involving Sioux Lookout and Dryden OPP, the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau - Thunder Bay, OPP Canine and Emergency Response Teams, and the Dryden Police Service.
The accused has been remanded into custody, and is set to appear in the Kenora Ontario Court of Justice on April 26.
