Nipissing West Ontario Provincial Police say they received a report of two people smoking drugs, in their vehicle, in the parking lot of a local business located on Front Street in Sturgeon Falls at 4:55 p.m. on September 22.
Officers attended the scene and located the vehicle with both occupants asleep. Upon speaking with the driver, officers concluded the individual was under the influence of a drug and subsequently conducted a Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) which resulted in a fail.
Further investigation by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) was completed and as a result of this evaluation, the driver, Tyler Hicks, age 23, from Lavigne was charged with:
- Operation While Impaired - Alcohol and Drugs, contrary to section 320.14(1)(a) of the Criminal Code (CC)
The driver was issued a 90-day Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.
The accused 23-year-old man was released by way of an Appearance Notice and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on November 5, 2020 in Sturgeon Falls.
This marks the 45th driver charged under the criminal impaired driving laws in the Nipissing West Detachment area in 2020.
"Drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs continue to pose a significant threat on Ontario roads," the OPP release stated.
The OPP will continue to expand on its Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) trained officers to enhance the OPP's ability to detect and evaluate drug-impaired drivers.
