FORT FRANCES – News – Ready access to Cannabis has resulted in charges for Steven SEATON of Fort Frances.
Rainy River OPP report, “A driver with cannabis readily available became the subject of a drug recognition evaluation that ended with an impaired driving charge”.
On January 14, 2023 shortly after midnight, members of the Atikokan OPP conducted a RIDE check on Highway 11 in Mine Center.
A vehicle came into the RIDE check and officers observed that the driver had cannabis readily available. Officers demanded a field sobriety test and the driver was subsequently arrested and transported to the Atikokan Detachment for a Drug Recognition Evaluation.
Steven SEATON, 40 years old from Fort Frances ON is charged with one count of operation while impaired section 320.14(1)(a) Criminal Code. The accused also had their driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and vehicle impounded for 7 days.
The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the Fort Frances Ontario Court of Justice on February 13, 2023 to answer to the charge.
The OPP would like to remind the public that cannabis as well as many other prescriptions and over the counter medications can impair your ability to operate a vehicle safely. Have a conversation with your physician or pharmacist about your medications and learn how it can affect your driving.
The following links to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provide good information on Drug Recognition Evaluations and driving while under the influence of medications. The police have the training and ability to detect drug impairment.
Impaired Driving – Royal Canadian Mounted Police (rcmp-grc.gc.ca)
Dangers of Driving After Taking Prescription Drugs or Over-the-Counter Medicines | NHTSA
