The Sault Ste. Marie Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reports that a Sault man was arrested for impaired driving Saturday evening after he was stopped for driving the wrong way on Highway 17.
A news release issued today states that a number of motorists were forced to pull over in order to avoid head-on collisions with the accused.
Full text of the OPP news release follows:
On Nov. 28, 2020 at approximately 9 p.m., members of the Sault Ste Marie Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Anishinabek Police Service (APS), and the Batchawana First Nations Police Service (BFN) responded to several 911 complaints of a truck driving the wrong way on Highway 17 in Garden River. Motorists had to pull over to avoid a head on collision with the truck.
Highway 17 was closed and the truck was stopped at the Highway 17 and 638 junction.
As a result, William Stone, age 33 of Sault Ste Marie, Ont., was charged with:
• Operation while impaired - alcohol and drugs, contrary to section 320.14(1)(a) of the Criminal Code (CC)
• Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus), contrary to section 320.14(1)(b) of the CC
• Dangerous operation, contrary to section 320.13(1) of the CC
• Fail to stop for police, contrary to section 216(1) of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA)
• Drive wrong way - divided highway, contrary to section 156(1)(a) HTA
• Having open liquor, contrary to section 31(2) of the Liquor License Act (LLA)
The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sault Ste. Marie on Dec. 21, 2020.
This charge marks the first driver charged for the Festive R.I.D.E. for the Sault Ste. Marie OPP Detachment area in 2020.