NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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Drinking and driving investigations kept members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP Detachment busy over the past weekend, and they still managed to fit in 11 RIDE program spot checks along with calls for service in an effort to increase road safety in North Simcoe.
An OPP officer who was on general patrol southbound on Simcoe County Road 93 in Midland around 10:39 p.m. on April 23 saw a northbound vehicle that was travelling at a high rate of speed and appeared to have a headlight malfunction. The officer conducted a traffic stop and, after speaking with the driver, entered a possible impaired driving investigation.
As a result of this investigation, the driver James R. Beeston, 59, of Severn Township, has been charged criminally with the following offences.
- Operation while impaired - alcohol
- Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
The accused was released from police custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on May 4. The accused also faces a 90-day driver's licence suspension as per the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines and a 14-day vehicle impound.
Officers who were on general patrol on Main Street in Penetanguishene on April 23 around 5:27 p.m. entered a possible impaired driving investigation with the driver of a vehicle within a nearby strip retail mall. As a result, Keith J Duval, 31, of Penetanguishene, has been charged criminally with the following offences.
- Operation while impaired - alcohol
- Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
The accused was released from police custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on May 11. The accused also faces a 90-day driver's licence suspension as per the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines and a 14-day vehicle impound.
On April 23, around 8:11 a.m., an eastbound Mustang on Angela Schmidt-Foster Road attempted to complete a U-turn just west of Marshall Road in Tiny Township. The Mustang caught the attention of an OPP officer who had just completed a RIDE check nearby and watched the vehicle slide sideways into the ditch and promptly spoke with the driver. The officer entered a possible impaired driving investigation, and as a result of this investigation, Armando Pecchia, 59, of Klein, has been charged with the following offences.
- Failing or refusing to comply with demands, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada
- Failing to have an insurance card, contrary to the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
- Careless driving, contrary to the Highway Traffic Act
The accused was released from police custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on May 4. As well, the accused faces a 90-day driver's licence suspension as per the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines and a 14-day vehicle impound.
On April 22, around 5:22 a.m., officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on Honey Harbour Road near Hillside Drive in Georgian Bay Township. Attending officers spoke with the uninjured driver and entered a possible impaired driving investigation. As a result of this investigation, Lucas Robert Vogel, 23, of Georgian Bay Township, has been charged criminally with the following offences.
- Operation while impaired - alcohol
- Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
The accused was released from police custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on May 4. The accused also faces a 90-day driver's licence suspension as per the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines and a 14-day vehicle impound.
Officers checked 150 vehicles at 11 different RIDE program spot-check locations throughout the Detachment patrol area over the weekend.
Educating the public about safe driving practices with our community safety partners is a priority. If you see a possible impaired driver on our roadways, waterways or trails, please "Make the Call" and dial 911 as impaired driving never ends well; please make a plan to get home safely.
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