Three impaired drivers charged in L&A County over Thanksgiving weekend
Over the 2023 Thanksgiving weekend, officers of the Lennox and Addington (L&A) County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged three separate drivers with impaired driving.
The first incident took place on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at approximately 2:12 p.m., when the OPP received a traffic complaint of a possible impaired driver. According to a release from the OPP, officers located the vehicle on Dundas Street West in Greater Napanee. The driver of the vehicle was showing signs of impairment and was subsequently arrested, police said.
As a result of this investigation, L&A County OPP have charged Patrick Macdonald, age 42, of Kingston with:
- Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs/alcohol
- Failure or refusal to comply with a demand
Later the same day, around 9:31 p.m., L&A OPP officers were dispatched to a single-vehicle collision on County Road 41 in Stone Mills Township. Officers reportedly attended the scene and located the vehicle.
According to the release, the lone driver of the vehicle was showing signs of impairment and an Approved Screening Device (ASD), which detects the presence of alcohol on a person’s breath, was administered. The driver was subsequently arrested.
As a result of this investigation, L&A County OPP have charged Shannon Brenton, age 23, of Belleville with:
- Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs/alcohol
- Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit
- Driving a motor vehicle with no licence
Finally, on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at approximately 1:48 p.m., L&A OPP officers were on patrol and received an Automatic Licence Plate Reader (ALPR) hit. Officers stopped the vehicle on Shannonville Road in Tyendinaga Township. According to the release, the driver of the vehicle was showing signs of impairment and an Approved Screening Device (ASD) was administered. The driver was subsequently arrested.
As a result of this investigation, L&A County OPP have charged Steven McGuire, age 54, of Tyendinaga with:
- Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit
- Operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs/alcohol
All three accused were released on an undertaking and are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Greater Napanee in October 2023. Their licences were suspended for 90 days, and their vehicles were impounded for seven days. If convicted, the accused drivers will face further licence suspension, and the accused drivers will be responsible for all towing/impoundment-related fees and fines.