(MIDDLESEX, ON) – On April 25th, 2020 at 01:30 a.m. Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) conducted a vehicle stop on Coldstream Rd., located in the Municipality of Middlesex Centre. Police soon suspected that the driver had been drinking and as a result police demanded that the driver complete a roadside screening test. The driver refused to provide police with a roadside breath sample and as a result was placed under arrest at the scene.
As a result of an investigation police have charged Nicholas FRANCIS -age 26- of London, ON. with:
CC 320.15(1) Failure or refusal to comply with demand
The accused was released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in a London court room on May 26, 2020 to speak to the charges.
Despite existing law, and education and awareness efforts, impaired driving continues to be a leading criminal cause of death in Canada, claiming hundreds of lives and causing tens of thousands of injuries each year.
Canada now has an enforcement tool that will reduce impaired driving and prevent crashes, deaths and injuries. Mandatory alcohol screening authorizes police to demand a breath sample from any driver lawfully pulled over. It greatly increases the number of drivers screened for impairment, resulting in more impaired drivers being detected. Equally important, it greatly increases the perception that if you drive impaired, the chance of getting caught is high.
Further information and resources on the effects and impacts of impaired driving can be found at www.madd.ca
We want to remind the public that if you suspect and impaired driver you should contact the Ontario Provincial Police or your nearest police authority immediately. The OPP can be reached anytime, anywhere in the Province of Ontario at 1-888-310-1122. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) where you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2000.