Tuesday, June 10, 2008

MAY COLLISION STATISTICS AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is committed to our stated goal of enhancing public safety by addressing aggressive driving and other road safety issues. In our efforts to reach this goal, the Police Service is providing the following information on our traffic enforcement activities for the month of May 2008:

The Police Service investigated 137 collisions in May. Of these, 89 occurred on city streets, 47 occurred on private property, and 1 occurred off-road involving an all-terrain vehicle. 25 persons were injured and one person, a fifteen year old, died. 55 drivers were charged with rules of the road violations, including careless driving, following to close, improper lane changes, and disobeying stop signs and red lights to name a few.

Officers on general patrol duties laid 16 Criminal Code driving charges in May. 10 drivers were charged with impaired driving or consuming over the legal limit in May, and 4 drivers were charged with failure to provide breath samples. 2 charges of dangerous driving were laid during May as well. Officers also conducted 200 R.I.D.E. checks during the month. No impaired driving charges were laid as a result of these checks, however, 2 drivers did have their licences suspended for 12 hours.

May saw the beginning of the Police Service’s initiative to address collisions at intersections. During this month, officers from the Community Oriented Response and Enforcement Unit (Street Team) were deployed to supplement Traffic and Patrol officers for an initiative to conduct monitoring and enforcement at intersections with high incidents of collisions. Their efforts resulted in 29 drivers being charged with various offences including improper turns, failing to stop for amber or red lights and proceeding against a green arrow.

Along with this targeted enforcement, officers also issued 140 speeding tickets, 18 seatbelt charges, 149 tickets for driver’s licence, permit and licence plate offences, and 33 charges for improper lighting and equipment. An additional 122 tickets were issued under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act.

With the improving weather and the approach of school vacation and graduations, enforcement during June will be focused on conducting more R.I.D.E. checks. Bicycle officers will be also begin patrols in the downtown core with a focus on bicycle related enforcement. Cyclists are reminded that they are required to follow the same rules as motorists when riding on the road, and that cyclists over ten years old are not allowed on city sidewalks. Please drive and ride safely.


The following five persons are to appear in bail court this morning

1) 46 year-old Denis Morin of 566 Albert Street West (rear-basement apt.) was arrested on the 9th of June at 10:40 am at his residence on several outstanding warrants for breach of release documents and failing to appear.

2) 32 year-old Brenda Jacker of 138 Sutton Place was arrested on the 9th of June at 9:20 am at the city police station after turning herself in on outstanding warrants for failing to appear for prints.

3) A 14 year-old female youth was arrested on the 10th of June just after midnight at her residence and charged with one count of assault and one count of breach of probation. It is alleged that the youth got into a verbal argument with her mother and she assaulted her by kicking her. At the time of the incident the youth was on probation conditions to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

4) A 44 year-old male was arrested on the 9th of June at approximately 2 pm at his residence and charged with one count of assault. It is alleged that on the 8th of June the accused assaulted his spouse at their residence by pushing her.

5) 27 year-old Jason Brown of #304-23 Terry Fox Place was arrested on the 9th of June at 3:57 pm at Wallace Terrace and charged with one count of operate a motor vehicle while disqualified, one count of possession of property obtained by crime and one count of breach of a conditional sentence order. It is alleged that on the 9th of June police stopped the accused motor vehicle on Wallace Terrace near Farwell Terrace and when they ran a check on the driver, the accused, they discovered that he was a disqualified driver. Officers further discovered that the plates on the vehicle were unauthorized and that the plates had been reported stolen.

The following break and enters were reported yesterday:

1) An apartment on Moody Street was entered sometime between the 7th of June and the 9th of June. It is not known what was taken at this time.

2) The King’s Salvage building in the 500 block of Case Road was entered sometime between Saturday the 7th of June after 12 pm and 7:30 am on the 9th of June. There was numerous computer equipment reported stolen.

Thefts Reported Yesterday:

1) Three bikes were reported stolen from residences on Chartwell Drive, Albert Street West and Roosevelt Avenue.

2) Items were stolen out of a vehicle on Salisbury Avenue.

3) A cedar bench was stolen from a yard of a residence on Silverdale Avenue.

4) A garden hose was stolen from a yard of a residence on Bruce Street.

City Police Requesting Public’s Assistance in Single Motor Vehicle Collision Investigation

Police are requesting the public’s assistance in the investigation into a single motor vehicle collision that occurred on Saturday the 7th of June, 2008 at approximately 11 am on Prince Lake Road. It is alleged that a 2008 grey Dodge Pick up being operated by a 22 year-old male was travelling south bound on Prince Lake Road when the driver failed to negotiate a corner, lost control and rolled over. The driver was transported to Sault Area Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The vehicle was demolished. Officers learned through investigation that there was a female passenger in the vehicle at the time of the collision that walked away from the scene and are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying this female. She was described as being 5’5’’, blonde hair and a petite build. She may have received minor injuries in the accident.
The investigation is continuing at this time.
If anyone has any information regarding this accident, please contact police at 949-6300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.