Impaired driver pays no heed to locked gate at Napanee Fairground

A Belleville driver is facing charges after driving through a locked gate at the Napanee fairgrounds.

Just before 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jun. 10, 2023, officers from the Lennox and Addington (L&A) County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of a vehicle that had just driven through the locked gates at the Napanee fairgrounds.

According to a release from the OPP, officers located the vehicle and determined that the lone driver was showing signs of impairment and an Approved Screening Device (ASD) was administered. Police said there were no injuries to the driver and minor damage to the fairground gate. The driver was subsequently arrested and transported to the detachment for further testing.

As a result of an investigation, L&A County OPP have charged James Brownless, age 46, of Belleville, with:

• Operating a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit
• Operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and drugs

Brownless was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Greater Napanee later this month. Their licence was suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.