Bracebridge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has laid criminal charges in five separate impaired driving investigations between March 16 – 23, 2024, and is asking for the public’s help in changing this pattern of drivers who continue to risk safety by choosing to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
On March 16, 2024, at 5:15 p.m. officers responded to reports of a two-vehicle collision on Monck Road at Wellington St in Bracebridge. An investigation into the cause of the collision commenced and police arrested and charged 32-year-old Liam RADFORD of Bracebridge, ON with Impaired Operation- Over 80 CC 320.14(1)(b). He will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge on April 9, 2024, to answer to his charge.
On March 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Bracebridge OPP officers responded to a traffic complaint about a possibly impaired driver and located the vehicle in the area of the Torrance Barrens in Muskoka Lakes Twp. Officers subsequently arrested and charged 29-year-old Shannon PREN of Barrie, ON with Impaired Operation -by Drug CC 320.14(1)(a). She will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge on April 23, 2024, to answer to her charge.
Later the same day, March 17, 2024, at 6:20 p.m. a member of the public called police to express their concerns about the erratic driving behaviour of a motorist on Highway 11 South in Bracebridge, police located the vehicle a short time later and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, 54-year-old Troy SYLVESTER of Barrie, ON was arrested and charged with Operation While Impaired CC 320.14(1)(a) and Over 80 CC 320.14(1)(b). He will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge on April 30, 2024, to answer to his charges.
On March 18, 2024, at 11:40 p.m. while officers were conducting a RIDE program in the area of Manitoba Street and Taylor Road in Bracebridge, officers stopped a vehicle and subsequently arrested and charged the driver, 28-year-old Hayleigh BARNES of Bracebridge, ON with Operation While Impaired CC 320.14(1)(a) and Over 80 CC 320.14(1)(b). She will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge, ON on April 23, 2024, to answer to her charges.
On March 23, 2024, at 5:20 p.m. a member of the public called police to report their concern about a person who had left a commercial parking lot on Ferguson Road in Gravenhurst and then returned to the same parking lot. Bracebridge OPP officers attended and subsequently arrested and charged 46-year-old Victor GROVES of Huntsville, ON with Operation While Impaired CC 320.14(1)(a) and Over 80 CC 320.14(1)(b). He will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge on April 16, 2024, to answer to his charges.
Information from concerned and attentive members of the public is key in efforts to take impaired drivers off the road and create safer driving conditions for everyone. The consequences for impaired driving in the province of Ontario, beyond the criminal charge, includes a 90 day driver’s license suspension and a 7-day vehicle impound.
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Think about it. We place places where we can drink all over the map. Out in the countryside, in downtown settings and everywhere in between.
The only way for patrons to get to these places generally is to drive.
We then put generally young, staff in charge of serving the liquor.
Then, with amazing government cunning we tell this staff to make a decision regarding when a patron has “had enough” to drink and somehow to cut them off without offending them.
The boss and staff know for sure that the way to make money is to “sell drinks”.
These two goals are in directly opposite social directions but we expect the staff, working in often noisy and poorly illuminated rooms to make this distinction accurately day in and day out and at all hours of the day.
If you ask a medical doctor if they could make this distinction accurately just by looking at the person, they will tell you it cannot be done. The police have tools like breathalyzers.
Do you see any sign of a possible problem in this situation? Politicians don’t! They created it! I think the police need more than a little help here.
Impaired driving is always going to be a problem..not just in muskoka. But everywhere. Until firefighters. Off duty police and tow truck drivers start being held accountable when they get pulled over AND CHARGED for intoxication. Leave the public alone.
You’ll never stop driving impared…slap on wrist consequences…if they are charged with attempted murder, or something like that there would probably be a big decline on drinking and driving