Highway 17 Collision leads to drug charges

Officers seized a quantity of drugs suspected to be Fentanyl and Cocaine along with a replica handgun

A 33-year-old North Bay man is facing multiple charges relating to a single-vehicle crash that occurred on Highway 17 east of Sturgeon Falls on September 19 around 2:30 p.m.

A Nipissing West OPP Investigation revealed a westbound car swerved across the eastbound lane, struck the guardrail and ditch (causing significant damage to both), then continued westbound on Highway 17.

Shortly thereafter, officers stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver. Officers say they seized a quantity of drugs suspected to be Fentanyl and Cocaine along with a replica handgun and over $750 in Canadian currency. The street value of the drugs seized is approximately $13,250.

Officers concluded the individual was under the influence of a drug and as a result of further testing by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), the driver, Reginald Burney-Lemure, age 33, from North Bay, was charged with:

Operation While Impaired - Alcohol and Drugs, contrary to section 320.14(1)(a) of the Criminal Code (CC);
Possession of Imitation Weapon for Dangerous Purpose, contrary to section 88 of the CC;
Possession of a Schedule 1 Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking - Opioid (other than heroin), contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA);
Possession of a Schedule 1 Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking - Cocaine, contrary to section 5(2) of the CDSA;
Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000 - in Canada, contrary to section 354(1)(a) of the CC; and
Drive Motor Vehicle - No Licence, contrary to section 32(1) of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA).

The driver was issued a 90-day Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.

The accused remains in custody and appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice - Bail Court, on September 24, 2020 in North Bay.

Further investigation revealed sometime after the collision and prior to police locating the vehicle, the occupants switched drivers. As a result, on September 22, 2020, officers charged the original driver, a 40-year-old person, from Sturgeon Falls, with: