THUNDER BAY – A sharp-eyed Thunder Bay Police Service officer noticed a vehicle parked beside a clearly marked ‘no parking’ sign on Pearl Street just before 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 1st.
TBPS say that “As the officer was preparing to write a parking ticket he learned the registered owner of the vehicle was suspended. Before the ticket could be completed, a person had entered the vehicle and begun to drive away.
“The officer conducted a traffic stop in order to give the motorist their parking ticket and to verify they were driving with a valid licence. The driver came to a stop in a private parking lot on the corner of Pearl and Court Streets.
“The officer spoke to the female driver, who was not the registered owner of the vehicle. During their conversation, the motorist struggled to recall the name of the vehicle’s owner. The officer also noticed signs of possible impairment.”
According to a media release from police, “The driver verbally identified herself but would not provide the officer with a licence. Further investigation revealed the car she was driving had been reported stolen minutes before the traffic stop, and that she too was a suspended driver”.
As a result, the driver was arrested and taken into custody. Meanwhile, two officers with the service’s Uniform Patrol branch arrived to assist. An officer conducted a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, which the driver failed.
The accused was transported to the Thunder Bay Police Service headquarters where a small quantity of suspected crack cocaine was located in her position.
Further evaluation by a qualified Drug Recognition Expert determined the accused was impaired by drug.
A 44-year-old Thunder Bay woman is charged with Operation of a Motor Vehicle While Impaired by Drugs, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000, Possession of Cocaine, and Obstruct Peace Officer.
She was released on a Promise to Appear for a future court date. None of the charges has been proven in court.
