(SOUTH HURON, ON) Huron County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers have arrested and charged a 21 year old male with numerous criminal code driving offences following some early morning escapades on February 1, 2015. At approximately 2:10 a.m. a Huron OPP officer observed a male exit a licenced establishment located on Main Street South in Exeter. The male and his female passenger proceeded to hop onto a Yamaha snowmobile and they sped away travelling westbound on Wellington Street.
The snowmobile sped by two other police vehicles that were parked in the area of Wellington Street and William Street. One of the officers activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop however the driver failed to stop and continued southbound on Marlborough Street. The officers did not pursue the fleeing snowmobile as the driver was driving dangerously and placing himself and others at risk of injury.
Moments later, police came across the snow machine laying upside down in the front yard of a residence located on Huron Street West. After the driver crashed his snow machine both he and his passenger fled from the scene on foot. Officers followed their tracks until they located the suspects hiding behind a garage on Carling Street.
Police were able to arrest both fleeing suspects without incident. Upon speaking with the driver officers noted the male driver had been drinking alcohol and was displaying signs that he was impaired. He was subsequently transported to the Huron Detachment for breath tests whereupon he provided two samples of his breath to a qualified Intoxilizer Technician. Both of his samples registered over the legal limit.
As a result, 21 year old Shawn KERSLAKE from South Huron has been charged with Impaired Driving, Drive Motor Vehicle – Over 80 Milligrams of Alcohol, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Flight from Police and Fail to Stop at the Scene of an Accident. He has a court appearance scheduled for the Ontario Court of Justice – Goderich on March 9, 2015. He also received an automatic 90 day driver’s licence suspension and his snowmobile has been impounded for seven days.
The female passenger was released unconditionally. Neither the driver nor the passenger was injured in the collision.