OPP BRING SAFE CONCLUSION TO PURSUIT
(Blind River, ON.) – On March 7, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. OPP received a traffic complaint of a tractor trailer being operated in an erratic manner on Highway 17 westbound towards Blind River. Officers located and stopped the transport at 7:13 p.m. on Causley Street in Blind River. With the officer standing on the side running board the driver began to drive away. The officer was forced to jump to the ground while the transport fled westbound.
Keeping the public’s safety in mind the officer discontinued the pursuit after a short distance. The transport was followed westbound on highway 17, turned northbound onto highway 546 in Iron Bridge then highway 554 and eventually southbound on highway 129 crossing highway 17 into the town of Thessalon. The driver proceeded back onto highway 17 headed eastbound.
OPP officers from the Espanola detachment were able to stop all westbound traffic while East Algoma officers deployed a spike belt at the junction of highways 17 and 108. At 9:20 p.m. the tractor trailer came to a stop on highway 17 in Serpent River First Nation.
Officers arrested the driver and he was taken into custody without incident. In total the pursuit lasted two hours and travelled 130 kilometres at speeds around 105 km/h due to the limits placed on tractor trailer speeds. Charged is 49 years of George Albert FOBERT of Welland Ontario.
FORBERT is charged with the following Criminal Code offences.
1) Flight from Police- 2 counts
2) Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle - 3 counts
3) Drive disqualified
4) Impaired operation
5) Over 80 milligrams
6) Personation with intent
7) Fail to remain at the scene of an accident
FOBERT was held in custody pending a bail hearing on Sault Ste Marie on 8 March, 2012.