Teen facing charges after striking OPP cruiser while impaired

Ontario Provincial Police laid several charges against a young driver after an officer and a civilian jumped into a cruiser before it was struck from behind.

Officials said that early Sunday morning, police were at the scene of a collision on Highway 417 near Metcalfe Street. At 2:30 a.m., while speaking to one of the people involved in an incident, an officer saw a vehicle travelling towards them quickly, in the same lane as the collision.

Both the officer and the civilian got into the cruiser for safety just before it was rammed from behind. Officials said that no one was injured in the situation.

The 18-year-old man behind the wheel is facing many charges as a result, including:

• Operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs
• Dangerous operation
• Young person- B.A.C above zero
• Fail to move into another lane for an emergency vehicle or tow truck – if safe to do
• Having care or control of a motor vehicle with unsealed container of liquor

Police said the accused had his licence suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was impounded. He is set to appear in court at a later date.

Impaired driving on the rise

Preliminary year-end data from Ottawa police shows that in 2025, the total number of collisions increased four per cent from 2024; the number of those involving impaired drivers dropped from 218 to 193.

But collisions don’t always tell the whole story. Police previously said that 854 people were charged with impaired driving in 2025 and 837 the year prior.

While the proportion of collisions involving alcohol and drugs may be decreasing, those collisions appear to be more severe.

There were a total of 23 fatal collisions in 2025, up from 18 in 2024. There were an additional 1,320 non-fatal injuries last year, also up from the year prior.