Distracted driving penalties set
ALMAGUIN – Police can charge distracted drivers resulting in fines of up to $500 who text, type, email, dial or chat using a handheld devise.
The law making it illegal for Ontario drivers to use any handheld communication and entertainment devices was introduced in October but as of Feb. 1 charges will be laid.
Offenders will be issued fines by way of offence notices. Although the Ministry of Transportation set the fine at $155, legislation allows for fines up to $500.
In addition to this legislation, drivers who place others at risk as a result of using a handheld devise can be charged with careless driving and face fines up to $1,000, six demerit points, a drivers license suspension and possible jail time. If convicted of dangerous driving, an offender could face a penalty of up to $2,000 and five years in jail.
According to North Bay OPP community services officer Carolle Dionne, in the area of Powassan to Mattawa North Bay OPP issued 12 official warnings before Feb. 1, although several information warnings were not issued.
The Almaguin Highlands OPP have not tracked the number of warnings leading up to the Feb. 1 deadline. Communications officer Barry Hubbert says charges will still be up to the officer’s discretion.
“There would have to be a really good reason for there not to be a charge,” said Hubbert giving an example of someone calling regarding a medical emergency.
In accordance with the new law, drivers may place emergency calls while driving to police, fire department and emergency medical services. If possible, drivers should pull off the road before making an emergency call.
Drug bust
SPRUCEDALE – A 31-year-old Sprucedale man faces charges after police executed a warrant at two East Bear Lake Road residences on Jan. 22 around 9 a.m.
The North Bay OPP drug section, Almaguin Highlands OPP and North Bay OPP were involved in the investigation.
Police discovered 111 marijuana plants, 13 grams of marijuana buds and 667 grams of semi-processed marijuana with a total value of about $100,000.
The man is charged with two counts of production of marijuana, one count of unsafe storage of firearms and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
Love song battle spawns drug charges
SUNDRIDGE – A dispute that started over love songs lead to drug charges during a Jan. 28 investigation.
Police arrived at the scene of a Bernard Crescent residence after police were called to the home of a couple that had been fighting.
“It was a stupid argument. He was listening to all those love songs and I couldn’t handle it,” the 44-year-old woman involved in the incident told police. She went on to say the dispute escalated from there when her 50-year-old partner grabbed her.
As police were putting handcuffs on the man they spotted eight marijuana plants through the open door of a neighbouring room.
Both individuals face possession charges. The male faces an additional charge of assault.
Fishing with pot
RESTOULE – North Bay OPP and North Bay Police Service officers conducting enforcement on Restoule Lake on Jan. 22 came across an angler in possession of marijuana.
A 28-year-old Nipissing Township man faces a charge of possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana.
Rollover drunk
EAST FERRIS – Powassan OPP responded to a vehicle rollover at the South Shore Road and Village Road intersection on Jan. 27 around 5:30 p.m.
The driver, a 52-year-old Chisholm Township man faces charges of impaired driving and having a blood-alcohol content over the legal limit.
Thief keeps carpet clean
MAGNETAWAN – It appears a thief worked hard avoiding leaving wet tracks on the floor during a Hwy. 124 break-and-enter on Jan. 21
The culprit used the resident’s ladder to gain entry to the home between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. by entering an unsecured main floor rear window.
A female resident returned home to discover that closet and cupboard doors were left open. There were a large number of bottles in the liquor cabinet, but only a 40-ounce bottle of rye and three packages of cigarettes were stolen. The thief went through the jewelry box but did not remove anything. A wallet was rifled through but no credit cards were stolen.
The thief exited by the same ladder used to gain entry. The resident believes the boots were left outside during the theft.
Township mischief
BURK’S FALLS – Police were contacted by Ryerson Township staff on Feb. 1 around 4 p.m. after what was originally thought to be a break-and-enter.
Culprits broke a window on the door of the building on Midlothian Road at Hwy. 520 but it was discovered they had not gained entry. The incident is being investigated as a mischief.
Boy faces assault charges
MAGNETAWAN – An altercation at Youthdale Camp on Old Nipissing Road led to charges for a 14-year-old boy on Jan. 26 around 3 p.m.
The boy struck another 14-year-old with a chunk of ice and punched him leaving his face swollen and bruised. A 22-year-old staff member who tried to intervene was also struck.
The youth was charged with two counts of assault.
Man hurries out of ditch
NOVAR – A 30-year-old man contacted police by cell after losing control of his vehicle and ending up in the centre median of Hwy. 11 after striking a road sign on Jan. 27 around 4 p.m.
The man dug his car out of the ditch and proceeded to hospital where he was taking his wife. He said he didn’t want to wait for police because he was concerned over his wife’s condition.
There was minor damage to the vehicle and police contacted the Ministry of Transportation over the damaged sign.
Van lands tires up
BURK’S FALLS – A northbound van slid across two lanes of traffic and ended up upside down in the southbound ditch.
The 52-year-old Powassan man was on Hwy. 11 near the Ferguson Road exit on Jan. 29 around 3 p.m. when he served to avoid a southbound vehicle that had drifted into the northbound lane. He struck the shoulder to avoid the vehicle and lost control, sliding backwards across both lanes of traffic. He was uninjured but there was severe damage to the van. The southbound vehicle failed to remain at the scene.
Driver leaves motorist in the ditch
NOVAR – A woman driving a green Subaru landed in the ditch after a vehicle pulled a u-turn in front of her vehicle causing her to lose control on Jan. 28 around 1 p.m. on Hwy. 592 near Savage Settlement Road.
The vehicle believed to have caused the accident failed to remain at the scene.
Vehicle rollover
SUNDRIDGE – A 27-year-old woman was not injured after rolling her vehicle on Hwy. 11 at Brookside Road south of Sundridge.
Police say she was not injured but startled after the incident that occurred on Jan. 31 at about 3:30 p.m. There was severe damage to her vehicle.
She lost control of the vehicle, struck a snow bank and rolled ending up in the ditch on all four tires.
Shoplifter ID known
NOVAR – The owner of Hope’s Foodland was able to identify a 42-year-old Emsdale woman he spotted shoplifting a case of beer and a bottle of whiskey from the store on Jan. 29 around 3:30 p.m.
The woman had left the scene but the identification lead to police charging the woman with theft.
Careless driver
MAGNETAWAN – A man was charged after being transported to Huntsville Hospital with minor injuries.
The driver went over a guardrail and into a ditch about 1 km west of Lake Cecebe Road on Hwy. 520 around noon on Jan. 31.
The Emsdale man was charged with careless driving.
Deer strike leads to charge
BURK’S FALLS – A 39-year-old woman faces a charge after striking a deer on Chetwynd Road on Jan. 28 around 10 a.m.
The woman was travelling on Chetwynd Road when she struck a deer causing moderate damage to the front of her car. The deer survived and ran off into the bush.
She contacted police on Feb. 1. Police charged her with failing to report an accident.
Truck at crime scene
EMSDALE – Police have a lead on the break-and-enter and theft of an MTD Yard Machine snow blower stolen from a resident’s garage on Hwy. 592.
A dark truck was observed on Jan. 28 at the residence around the same time that the red snow blower was stolen.