Over 300 charges were laid in Perth County during a week-long traffic safety blitz that included the Canada Day long weekend, provincial police say.
More than 300 charges were laid in Perth County during a week-long traffic safety blitz that included the Canada Day long weekend, provincial police say.
Results from the eight-day campaign that ended July 3, released by Perth County OPP this week, included 200 charges for speeding, 27 for failing to wear a seatbelt, four for impaired driving and two for stunt driving.
In one case, police said officers found open alcohol in the vehicle of a 22-year-old driver stopped at a RIDE program in West Perth just before 11 pm on Canada Day. The driver admitted to consuming alcohol and a roadside screening device was used, police said, but the accused person refused to provide further breath samples after being taken to a local detachment.
The driver was charged with refusal to comply with a request and handed a 90-day license suspension. They are scheduled to appear in a Stratford court at a later date.
Police said 17 motor-vehicle collisions were also investigated during the campaign. Minor injuries were reported at two scenes.
The provincewide campaign targeted the “big four” factors in serious collisions on OPP-patrolled roads. In total, more than 14,000 traffic charges were laid across Ontario during the effort, police said.
Speeding, seatbelt infractions lead to impaired driving charges
Traffic stops for speeding and seatbelt infractions led to additional alcohol-related charges for two drivers following the recent traffic blitz.
On July 6, a 19-year-old driver from Bornholm pulled over in Perth East for not wearing their seatbelt was also charged for having a blood alcohol level above zero after a roadside screening device registered an alert, police said. The accused driver’s license was suspended for three days and they received a ticket for each offence.
A couple of hours later, police stopped a vehicle in West Perth found traveling more than 50 kilometers per hour over the limit on Road 164. That driver, a 24-year-old from Mitchell, also registered an alert on a screening device, police said.
That driver received a 30-day driving suspension and their vehicle was impounded for 14 days. The accused is scheduled to appear in a Stratford court at a later date to answer the charges.
Investigations into two vehicle thefts ongoing
Police are investigating after a pickup truck was recently stolen from a dealership in North Perth.
The truck – a black 2019 Dodge Ram – was reported stolen on July 7.
Police are also investigating the theft of a vehicle during a break and enter reported July 8 at a West Perth business on Maddison Street.
An unknown suspect or suspects broke into the business overnight before stealing some money and a vehicle parked outside, police said. The keys to the vehicle – a white 2017 Nissan Murano valued at approximately $26,000 –were locked inside an office, according to investigators.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Perth County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be sent through Crime Stoppers online at hpcrimestoppers.com or 1-800-222-8477.