Local police are lamenting another impaired driving charge over the holiday season.
Superior East OPP say officers responded to a collision on Highway 101 around 50 kilometres east of Chapleau around 5 am Christmas morning - responding officers detected an odour of alcohol on the breath of the driver, who failed a subsequent breath test before being taken back to the Chapleau detachment for further testing.
That led to the arrest of a 25-year-old Chapleau resident, who has been charged with "operation while impaired - alcohol and drugs", "operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration 80 plus", "drive motor vehicle - no licence", and "operate motor vehicle without insurance".
The driver's set to appear in Chapleau court in February, though a 90-day Automatic Driver's Licence Suspension has been issued while the vehicle's been impounded for seven days.
Superior East OPP note this was the third impaired charge in their detachment area last week, and emphasize - as New Year's Eve approaches - that "no amount of alcohol or drug is safe to consume and then drive", urging everyone who observes a suspected impaired driver to call the OPP or 911.