St. Clair Township firefighters nearly had to respond to two crashes at the same time.
Crews from the Wilkesport station were already at a collision at Bentpath Line and Kimball Road on Jan. 15 when a blue Dodge Ram drove up to the area illuminated by flashing lights.
“While on scene of the collision, independent witnesses reported a possible impaired driver was turned around by Wilkesport fire department at the scene,” assistant Crown attorney Ryan Iaquinta said while reading an agreed statement of facts to a Sarnia courtroom earlier this month.
Police found the pickup around 6:30 pm that Saturday at Indian Creek Road and Wilkesport Line, where it hits shoulders on both sides of the road while turning. They pulled it over and asked John Johnson to turn off the ignition and get out.
“He had difficulty finding the door handle,” Iaquinta said. “When he eventually opened the door he almost fell on his face while stepping out of the vehicle.”
The 61-year-old Sarnia was arrested and taken to headquarters in Petrolia for more testing. Results were between 229 and 244 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood.
“Almost three times the legal limit,” Justice Krista Lynn Leszczynski said.
Defense lawyer Terry Brandon said there’s no excuse for what her client did that night, but pointed out he lost his son and his best friend within the previous six months.
“In the moment it was a combination of grief and stress and just everything that had gone on,” she said. “It was a very difficult moment and he greatly regrets it.”
After pleading guilty to one count of being over the legal limit within two hours of driving, Johnson told the judge he was very sorry.
“I should have never done what I did, but it will never happen again. I have not drank since that day and I’m trying to get my life back on track,” he said.
Leszczynski imposed a $2,250, higher than the minimum, and banned him from driving for one year. A second charge was withdrawn.