THUNDER BAY - Ontario Provincial Police are thanking the public for remaining vigilant on area roads and helping officers arrest and charge two out of three impaired drivers in and around Thunder Bay in just four days.
“The great thing we do see is the public is calling and letting us know that they see a possible impaired driver,” said OPP provincial constable, Diana Cole. “So the public is making us aware of that and we are acting on that and arresting and charging people for the offence of impaired driving.”
Over the course of four days, three people from Thunder Bay have been arrested and charged with impaired driving offences.
According to Thunder Bay OPP, the first incident took place on Aug. 29 just after 10 p.m. when an officer responded to reports of an impaired driver on Highway 61 near Arthur Street.
The vehicle was located and officers determined the driver had been consuming alcohol. A 23-year-old woman from Thunder Bay has been charged with care or control of a motor vehicle while impaired and operating a motor vehicle with over 80 milligrams of alcohol.
The woman will be appearing in court in October to answer to the charges.
A second incident took place on Aug. 30 just before 7 p.m. when officers received multiple reports of a possible impaired driver on Highway 11/17 near Sunshine.
The vehicle was located heading east bound and officers conducted a traffic stop. It was determined the driver was consuming alcohol and officers arrested a 66-year-old man from Thunder Bay.
He has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, impaired operation of a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with over 80 milligrams of alcohol.
The man will make a court appearance in October.
A Thunder Bay teen is also facing charges after an officer with the Highway Safety Division conducted a traffic stop on Belrose Road at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1.
The officer determined the 19-year-old Thunder Bay male had been consuming alcohol and he was placed under arrest.
The male is charged with care and control of a motor vehicle over 80 milligrams of alcohol and he will appear in court in Thunder Bay in October to answer to the charges.
Cole said people can be impaired at any time of the day and on any day of the week, which is why officers are thankful for the public’s help when it comes to reporting impaired or dangerous drivers.
“If you see someone driving erratically, perhaps they are driving from the white shoulder line to the yellow fog line, speeding up and slowing down, anything that is out of the ordinary could be a possible impaired driver,” she said.
“We want to get that message across. If you see someone driving while impaired, please call us immediately to get these impaired drivers off the road.”
Anyone who suspects a motorist to be impaired can contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or call 911 in emergency situations.
