JOGUES - A drunk driver was caught behind the wheel of an excavator driving to the scene of a ditched vehicle, says police.
Around 11 p.m. on Jan. 23, James Bay OPP received a call about a pickup truck in the ditch on Caithness Road in Jogues, which is southwest of Hearst, and that an excavator was heading toward the scene.
Officers found the excavator heading north on Caithness Road and pulled it over.
Open alcohol was found in the pick-up truck and police say the driver operated the pickup truck and excavator while impaired. The driver's licence was also criminally suspended.
A 41-year-old man from Jogues is charged with:
- 2 counts of operation while impaired - alcohol
- 2 counts of operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
- 2 counts of operation while prohibited under the criminal code
- Obstruct peace officer
- Fail to report accident
- Having care or control of a motor vehicle with an open container of liquor
The accused was released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Hearst on Feb. 26. Their driver's licence is suspended for 90 days and the pick-up truck was impounded for 45 days.
None of the charges have been tested in court and the accused is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
