(PERTH COUNTY, ON) – From Friday November 27, 2015, until the early morning hours of Monday November 30, 2015, Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers conducted a total of 18 Reduce Impaired Drivers Everywhere (RIDE) programs throughout the County. A large number of vehicles were checked and a number of charged were laid.
On Sunday November 29, 2015, officers detected the odour of freshly burned marijuana inside a vehicle stopped at a RIDE program in Sebringville. The 27 year-old-male driver a Municipality of West Perth resident was arrested and charged with possession of a schedule II substance – Cannabis Marihuana under 30 grams.
Two other vehicles that were stopped at different Ride programs had passengers who were in possession of liquor in an open container. As a result, a 27-year-old female from Stratford and a 20-year-old male from the Township of Perth East were charged under the Liquor Licence Act of Ontario.
While speaking to a driver at a RIDE program in Listowel a 29-year-old female driver from Brant County was found to have a suspended licence. She received a ticket and was unable to continue driving her vehicle.
Perth County OPP officers returning from a RIDE program shortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday November 28, 2015, observed a Pontiac Grand Am on Road 145 west of Sebringville. While one of the officers spoke with the female driver, it was determined that she displayed signs of impairment. She was arrested and transported to the Perth County OPP Detachment in Sebringville where she failed two Intoxilyzer breath tests.
20-year-old Bethany DELANEY from Welland, has been charged with “driving with more than 80 mgs. of alcohol in blood”, and “driving while ability impaired”, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. She was released on a Promise to Appear and is scheduled to attend at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford on December 14, 2015 to answer to these charges. She was also issued a 90 day driver’s licence suspension and her vehicle was impounded for 7 days.
In addition to these charges at Festive RIDE programs, a Perth County OPP officer stopped a pickup truck along Highway 23 north of Listowel on Thursday afternoon November 26, 2015, around 3:30 p.m. While speaking with the male driver the officer detected the odour of an alcoholic beverage being emitted from the man’s breath.
The driver was given a roadside breath test which he failed. He also failed two subsequent Intoxilyzer breath tests at the North Perth OPP Detachment in Listowel. 45-year-old Donald WILLIAMS from Huron East was charged with “driving with more than 80 mgs. of alcohol in blood”, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. He was released on a Promise to Appear and is scheduled to attend at the Ontario Court of Justice in Listowel on December 16, 2015, to answer to this charge. He was issued a 90 day driver’s licence suspension and his vehicle was impounded for 7 days.
The OPP Festive RIDE program runs from November 23, 2015, until January 2, 2016. During this time period, you can expect to see Perth County OPP officers conducting more than the usual RIDE programs anywhere at any time of day. Motorists are urged to consider how to get home safely before taking that first drink.
“Drinking and driving is unacceptable and completely preventable”.