Northern Ont. man arrested for impaired driving for the 7th time after almost hitting marked OPP cruiser, police say

Ontario Provincial Police in Dryden, Ont., impounded a vehicle involved in a near miss with a police cruiser on February 11, 2025, after charging the owner with impaired driving. (Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

Members of the Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP) Dryden detachment have arrested and charged an individual with impaired operation.

On Feb. 11 at approximately 4 p.m. members of the Dryden OPP Detachment observed a dangerous maneuver by a motorist requiring the officers to take evasive measures to avoid a collision.

“After drifting a corner and nearly hitting a fully marked police cruiser,” said police in a related social media post.

“Dryden OPP (officers) located the driver of this vehicle at their residence.”

The authorities said they determined that the driver of the motor vehicle had been impaired by alcohol/drugs.

“The driver was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Dryden detachment OPP Detachment for further testing,” OPP said in a news release.

As a result of the investigation, the driver, a 69-year-old local man, was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle along with two impaired driving charges – including having a blood alcohol concentration of more than 80.

In addition to the charges, per provincial regulations the accused’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days and the vehicle involved was impounded by police for seven days at the owner’s expense.

“Unfortunately, the driver is quite familiar with this process having 6 (six) previous convictions for impaired driving,” said police.

The accused was released and is scheduled to appear in court on April 15.

“The OPP remains committed to taking alcohol/drug-impaired drivers off our roads through enforcement and public education,” said police.

“If you suspect that someone is driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, it is important to call 911 to report it.”