Monday, June 19, 2006

Additional Charges Laid In Doucet Fatal Collision

Sault Ste Marie OPP have laid additional charges in the Fatal Traffic Collision of May 14th in which Sault Ste Marie City Police Officer Don Doucet lost his life.

Jeanette NIGANOBE age (29) has been charged with Take Motor Vehicle Without Owners Consent, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada and offences under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act of Driving Under Suspension, Driving a Motor Vehicle Without a License and Failing To Stop For a Red Light.

In addition to these Fatal Accident Related Charges, NIGANOBE has also been charged with Assault Contrary to the Criminal Code. This charge resulted from an incident which occurred at the Sault And Area Hospital involving a member of the nursing staff the night Ms. NIGANOBE was being treated for injuries received in the May 14th Fatal Collision.

These new charges are in addition to the Fatal Accident related Criminal charges currently before the court of, Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle Causing Death, Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle Causing Bodily Harm and Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Level Exceeding .08mg%.

NIGANOBE remains in custody following a Bail Review which was held on June 14th. and will next appear in court to answerer to all these charges, by video remand on the 19th of June.

Constable William FREEMAN the driver of the police cruiser in this tragic crash has been charged with Failing To Wear A Seatbelt, contrary to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.

The investigation into this fatal collision continues, although police do not anticipate any further charges.

Southern Ontario Man Drowns While Fishing at Stoddart Lake in Hearst

On June 13th, 2006 at around 10:30 a.m. an employee of the Fushimi Provincial Park in Hearst contacted the Hearst OPP regarding an abandoned small aluminum boat in the middle of Stoddart Lake. The OPP provincial Underwater Search and Recovery Unit was called in to assist with the search after an extensive land search was done with no results.

The following morning on June 14th, 2006, OPP divers discovered the body of 56-year-old Daniel HARE of Delhi Township in the lake. Investigation reveals that Hare had been up to this area on a fishing trip with friends also from Southern Ontario staying at a local cottage. HARE had gone out fishing alone when the incident happened.

An autopsy was performed today in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It reveals that the cause of death is drowning. No foul play is suspected.

Fourteen Year Old Hurt In ATV Crash

On Saturday 17 June 2006 members of the Sault Ste Marie OPP were sent to a bush road on the Batchewana First Nation after a fourteen year old was injured in an ATV crash.

At about 2:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon the youth and a passenger were riding on a bush road off of Old Garden River Road on the Batchewana First Nation. The ATV went off the roadway and struck a tree. The fourteen year old was taken to Sault Area Hospital by ambulance. He was treated for non-life threatening injuries. The passenger was not injured.

The investigation has been handed over the Batchewana First Nation Police for further investigation and follow up.

R.I.D.E. Check Finds Another Impaired Driver

Garden River First Nation,

Members of the Garden River Anishinabek Police Service and the Sault Ste Marie OPP teamed up over the weekend for another R.I.D.E. check.

On Saturday night at about midnight, officers from both police services were conducting a R.I.D.E. check on Hwy 17 in Garden River. A vehicle approached the checkpoint but didn’t stop until it was about 100 ft past the officers. The driver showed signs that she had been drinking and a roadside breath test was conducted. As a result of the tests the driver was taken back to the OPP detachment for a Breathalyzer test.

The driver failed the Breathalyzer tests and as a result she has been charged. Fifty one year old Una FORRESTER of Sault Ste Marie has been charged with Driving While Over the Legal Limit of .08 . She has had her drivers licence suspended for the next 90 Days. She will appear in court on July 24 2006 to answer to the charge.

Another Crash Involving An Animal

Goulais River, Ont.,

Sault Ste Marie OPP have investigated another crash involving a large animal on Hwy 17 north of Sault Ste Marie.

On Saturday afternoon at about 2:30 p.m. a pick up truck was southbound on Hwy 17 in just south of Havilland Shores Drive. The vehicle struck and killed a deer that was crossing Hwy 17. No one in the truck was injured and a tow truck was not needed.

Has Anybody Seen Molly

Someone in the Heyden area is making boating just a little annoying for some of the Heyden residents.

Sault Ste Marie OPP have investigated another theft of a small boat from a Heyden home. Sometime in the past week thieves have taken a 12 foot red fiberglass boat from a Heyden home located on Caple Road in Heyden. The boat has the name “MOLLY J” painted on the hull. This is the forth small boat taken from the Heyden area in the past six weeks.

If you see the “MOLLY J” or any of the other three boats floating around, call the OPP or Crime Stoppers.

Booze & Beaches

The first real warm weekend of the summer in this area brought out the booze on area beaches.

In a response to continued concerns from area residents, officers from the Sault Ste Marie OPP made random patrols of area beaches in our detachment area. Several people were found drinking on Harmony Beach north of Sault Ste Marie and Tower Lake north of Echo Bay.

Meanwhile at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning OPP found two other teenagers with open liquor in the car on a back road in Echo Bay. In total six people were given tickets for drinking while not in a licence premise or resident.