(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) – On Sunday July 17, 2016, before 10 p.m. a pedestrian was walking on Tremaine Ave South when he was almost hit by a Honda van. The van pulled into a nearby parking lot where the pedestrian detected the odour of an alcoholic beverage on the male driver’s breath. The pedestrian reached into the van and removed the keys. The male driver walked away from the vehicle.
A short time later, after having obtained the drivers description, a Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer located the driver. The officer observed signs of impairment and subsequently placed the driver under arrest. The driver was transported to the North Perth OPP Detachment in Listowel for breath tests.
As a result of the police investigation, 66-year-old Paul C. GRIFFIN of the Municipality of North Perth has been charged with; “driving while ability impaired – motor vehicle (alcohol)”, and “driving with more than 80 mgs of alcohol in blood”, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the accused was also a suspended driver, that the plates on the van were not registered to it, the ownership of the van had not been changed to the accused and that there was no insurance on the vehicle. As a result the accused has also been charged with the following Highway Traffic Act of Ontario offences; “driving while under suspension”, “use plates not authorized for the vehicle”, and “fail to apply for permit on becoming owner”. He also faces a charge of “operate a motor vehicle without insurance”, contrary to the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act.
The accused was released from police custody by way of a Promise to Appear (PTA), and is scheduled to answer the charges in the Listowel Criminal Court of Justice on August 24, 2016. He was issued an automatic 90 day driver’s licence suspension and his vehicle has been impounded for seven days.