Ontario Man Charged With Impaired Driving After Hitting A Cop Car Setting Up For Festive RIDE
The checkpoint worked faster than they thought!
Vehicle crashes into OPP cruiser.
The Ontario Provincial Police didn't have to work too hard to catch this impaired driver, considering he basically drove them to arrest him.
On December 17, officers from the OPP's Caledon Detachment were setting up a checkpoint for Festive RIDE, a program to catch impaired drivers during the holidays, when a driver crashed into a stopped, fully marked police cruiser with flashing lights.
According to a tweet posted by OPP Central Region, the cruiser was parked on the shoulder of the northbound Highway 10 offramp to Valleywood Boulevard in the early hours of Saturday morning.
\u201cThis morning @ approx 12:29am, #CaledonOPP was setting up for #FestiveRide on Hwy 10 NB offramp to Valleywood Blvd. The cruiser was on the shoulder with lights activated when it was read ended. A 48 yo from @TownOfCaledon has been charged with impaired.\n\n#NeverDriveImpaired ^jb\u201d— OPP Central Region (@OPP Central Region) 1671304105
The tweet includes photos of the crash showing severe damage to both vehicles. According to an OPP press release, minor injuries were sustained from the crash.
As officers investigated the crash, they began to suspect that the driver may have been impaired and asked for a breath sample, which resulted in him being arrested for impaired operation.
Police brought 48-year-old Yoel Morales Lemus down to the Caledon OPP Detachment for more breath tests, and it's safe to say he didn't pass.
The Caledon man has been charged with impaired operation with a blood alcohol concentration level above 80 and is set to appear in court on February 27, 2023.
His vehicle will be impounded for seven days and his licence has been suspended for 90 days.
"With the holiday season upon us, the need to make alternate arrangements has increased," police said in the release. "In Caledon, HomeJames offers a FREE designated driver service."
The service runs from November 25 to December 31 on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., with the expectation of Christmas Eve. To score a ride, you can call 905-951-9000 or download the HomeJames app.