Police credit ‘alert citizen’ after arrest of impaired driver in Napanee

The Lennox and Addington (L&A) County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are thanking a local resident after being alerted to a possibly impaired driver – whom police found was over the legal limit of blood alcohol concentration.

The male driver was arrested and charged “thanks to an alert citizen,” the OPP said in a press release on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.

According to police, their officers received a traffic complaint at approximately 10:55 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. The caller advised police of a possible impaired driver at the parking lot near Napanee Falls and Springside Park.

“An alert member of the public noticed a male drinking in the parking lot and threw a bunch of beer cans out,” the OPP said.

Responding officers located the vehicle on Thomas Street near 4th Avenue in Napanee, where they stopped the vehicle. According to police, the driver was subsequently arrested without incident.

As a result, 51-year-old Kevin Goodberry of Napanee has been charged with:

• Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired (alcohol and drugs)
• Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit

Goodberry was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee in late November. The accused man had his driver’s licence automatically suspended for 90 days, and his vehicle impounded for seven days. If convicted, Goodberry will face a further licence suspension. The accused will be responsible for all fees and fines related to the towing/impounding of his vehicle.

“Impaired driving is the number one cause of criminal death in Canada, and yet every impaired driving crash is preventable,” the OPP emphasized.

“By calling 911 and reporting suspected impaired drivers to police, all Canadians can play a role in keeping our roads, trails, and waterways safe, and in reducing impaired driving crashes, deaths, and injuries.”