Ontario Provincial Police have charged a 24-year-old Elliot Lake man with impaired and dangerous operation following a two-vehicle crash on South Bay Road near Lake Nipigon late last month. OPP said officers responded to the collision just before 10 p.m. on Aug. 29, after it was reported that one driver appeared to be impaired. According to police, the complainant was towing his boat when he was struck by the second vehicle. “Through further investigation, it was determined that the driver of the second motor vehicle had been impaired by alcohol,” OPP said in a news release Wednesday. The driver was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Nipigon detachment for further testing. Charges, penalties and court dates As a result of the investigation, the motorist has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle and taking a motor vehicle without consent, along with two impaired driving offences – including operation with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. In addition to the charges, under provincial law, the man received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension. The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Nipigon at a later date. Police commitment, public appeal Provincial police also used the incident to remind the public of the force’s commitment to take alcohol and drug-impaired drivers off Ontario roads through enforcement and public education and to appeal for assistance. “If you suspect someone is driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, it is important to call 911 to report it,” said OPP.
