Drunk driver crashes into home in Merrickville-Wolford on Christmas Day

It was a busy holiday season for provincial police officers across eastern Ontario.

The Grenville County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to five incidents of impaired driving between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The OPP says that includes a call where a person drove through a stop-signed intersection and crashed into a home in Merrickville-Wolford on Christmas Day.

The 72-year-old driver, who suffered minor injuries, was charged with impaired driving and having open liquor in the vehicle.

Meantime, four motorists were charged with impaired driving in Russell County between Dec. 22 and Dec. 26.

Russell County OPP officers responded to a two-vehicle collision on Topaze Crescent in Rockland shortly after 8:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22. There were no injuries involved and McKenzie Hart, 22, of Rockland was charged with the following offences:

• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
• Operation while impaired – alcohol
• Fail to remain

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, officers responded to a suspicious person complaint on Bellefeuille Street in Limoges. Police say the driver left the scene during the investigation but was located a short time later and refused to comply with the officer’s breath demand.

Mikaela Melkert, 26, of Crysler, faces the following charge:

• Failure or refusal to comply with demand

Around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a Highway Traffic Act (HTA) offence on St-Guillaume Road in Russell Township. During the investigation, the driver was arrested and taken into the police detachment for further testing.

Justin Nturanyenabo, 49, of Embrun, faces the following charges:

• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
• Operation while impaired – alcohol
• Dangerous operation

Then around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26, an officer conducted a traffic stop for an HTA offence, again on St-Guillaume Road in Russell Township. According to the OPP, the driver refused to comply with the officer’s breath demand.

Eric Cousineau, 35, of Pointe-Claire, Quebec was charged with:

• Failure or refusal to comply with demand
• Operation while impaired – alcohol

All four motorists received a 90-day driver’s license suspension and their vehicles were also impounded for seven days. The accused are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal at later dates.