Ontario Provincial Police in North Bay report that a crash involving a snowbank on January 3 resulted in impaired driving charges for two people after they attempted to avoid responsibility by switching seats.
Police were called around 4:20 p.m. to Highway 17 near Bayview Road. During the investigation, officers determined that the driver and passenger exchanged positions following the collision and continued travelling east. The vehicle was later found on Highway 531 in the Township of Bonfield.
A 40-year-old Bonfield resident now faces charges that include drug-impaired driving, refusing to follow a lawful demand, and two counts of driving while prohibited. A 49-year-old, also from Bonfield, has been charged with drug-impaired driving.
Both individuals were released and are scheduled to appear in Ontario Court of Justice in North Bay in February. Each received an immediate 90-day driver’s licence suspension, and the vehicle involved was impounded for 45 days.