Six alleged impaired drivers arrested over five days in Essex County

A file photo depicting impaired driving.

Essex County OPP arrested six drivers over the past five days with alcohol and drug related offences.

Insp. Angela Ferguson says impaired driving is still an issue in the region.

"We still continue to see operators of motor vehicles risking their lives and those of others by choosing to drive impaired. Let's continue to remain vigilant with our goal of reducing the instances of impaired driving, whether its’ by alcohol or drugs," says Ferguson.

On Nov. 10, at approximately 3:40 p.m., members of the Leamington OPP responded to a report of a driver who could not keep their vehicle in their lane Highway 77 in Leamingotn.

Officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was arrested and met with a drug recognition expert at a local detachment, as a result of the investigation, a 67-year-old woman of Leamington, was charged with:

• Operation While Impaired- Drugs

On Nov. 11, at approximately 8:07 p.m., members of the Leamington OPP responded to a minor collision involving a two vehicles Erie Street South, Municipality of Leamington. As a result of an investigation, a 34-year-old man of Leamington, was charged with:

• Operation While Impaired - Blood Alcohol Concentration (80 plus)

On Nov. 12, just after 5:19 p.m., members of the Leamington OPP responded to a minor collision involving a three vehicles Mersea Road 6, Municipality of Leamington. As a result of an investigation, a 46-year-old Leamington man was charged with:

• Operation While Impaired- Alcohol
• Failure or refusal to comply with demand

On Nov. 14, just before 6:30 p.m., members of the Kingsville OPP were alerted to a suspicious vehicle in the area of James Avenue, Town of Kingsville. Officers located a driver of a pickup truck was located inside the vehicle. As a result of an investigation, a 37-year-old Kingsville man was charged with:

• Operation While Impaired- Drugs
• Possession of a Schedule I Substance - Opioid (other than heroin)

On Nov. 14, just after 6:30 p.m., a member of the Kingsville OPP was on patrol when they observed a vehicle being driven in an erratic manner. The Officer conducted a traffic stop on Main Street West, Town of Kingsville. As a result of an investigation, a 46-year-old Kingsville man was charged with:

• Operation While Impaired- Alcohol
• Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)

All of the accused are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on later dates. A 90-day Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (A.D.L.S.) and 7-day Vehicle Impoundment was initiated as per statute to the accused.

On Nov. 14, just after midnight, an officer from the Essex Detachment OPP was conducting speed enforcement on Highway 3 at Manning Road. The officer observed a Lexus travelling at a speed in excess of 200 km/h. The officer conducted a traffic stop on Manning Road.

While speaking with the driver, police say the investigating officer determined that the driver had been drinking alcohol. An Approved Screening Device (ASD) was used. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to a local operations centre for further testing.

As a result, a 33-year-old male from Leamington had their licence suspended for three days.

Police say if you suspect someone is driving while their ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired, either by drug or alcohol, call police at 911 to report it immediately.

Anyone with information regarding this or any other incident is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.catchcrooks.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.