(HALIBURTON, ON) – On Saturday January 24, 2015 at approximately 10:50 pm, officers from the Haliburton Highlands Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police(OPP) observed a motorized snow vehicle (MSV) being operated at a high rate of speed in the downtown core of the village of Haliburton. The snowmobile had no lights and failed to stop at a stop sign.
Emergency lights were activated on the police cruiser to signal the snowmobile to stop. The snowmobile failed to stop and continued travelling up Mountain Street at a high rate of speed. Due to public safety concerns the emergency lights were deactivated and the following discontinued.
Police continued to patrol the area and the snowmobile was once again located on Cowan Road. The officer activated his emergency lights but the driver of the snowmobile failed to stop and fled a second time.
The officers were able to follow the snowmobile tracks to Ridgeview Road where it had left the road onto an unmaintained trail. Officers entered the trail on foot to search the immediate area. Officers located the snowmobile on the trail and attempted to flag down the snowmobile but it accelerated towards the officers who were forced to jump out of the way to avoid being struck. The snowmobile proceeded approximately 25 meters past the officers before the driver lost control and struck a tree. The driver attempted to flee on foot but police were able to successfully arrest the driver.
Upon speaking with the driver, police noted the driver had been drinking alcohol. A roadside test was completed and the driver registered a warn range reading. As a result of the investigation, the male driver, Brian REID, age 31 of Dysart et al was served with a three day driver’s licence suspension and charged with the following:
Dangerous Operation of Motor Vehicle
Flight while Pursued by Peace Officer
Fail to Comply with Recognizance
Drive – no insurance
Drive motorized snow vehicle, permit not issued
REID is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Minden on March 4, 2015 to answer to the charges.