(SOUTH HURON, ON) – An Exeter resident will have to make a court appearance at the end of March after he was caught impaired driving by police this past weekend.
On Saturday, February 1, 2020 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Huron County & Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers received a traffic complaint about a possible impaired driver that was travelling northbound on Highway 4 in an erratic manner. Officers began patrolling for the suspect pickup truck and a short while later a Huron OPP officer spotted the suspect vehicle coming into Exeter.
A traffic stop was conducted and upon speaking with the driver the investigating officer noticed the driver to be displaying several signs of impairment. In addition, the driver had difficulty putting his vehicle into park as it nearly bumped into a stationary police cruiser.
The driver was placed under arrest for Impaired Operation and a search incident to arrest found the driver to be in possession of suspected fentanyl.
The accused was transported to the Exeter OPP Detachment where he was assessed by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). A series of evaluations were conducted and the driver was ultimately deemed to be impaired by a drug.
Joel GOUDREAU, 34 years of age from Exeter has been charged with Operation While Impaired and Possession of a Schedule I Substance – Opioid. He has since been released from custody with a court date scheduled for March 30, 2020 at the Ontario Court of Justice – Goderich.
His motor vehicle was towed and impounded and his driver’s licence has been suspended for an automatic 90 days.