A Belleville man was taken into custody for driving while impaired near the scene of a fatal crash site on Highway 62 over the weekend.
An Ontario Provincial Police officer was on Highway 62 at Public School Road in Madoc on Sunday shortly before 6:30 p.m. when he saw a “fast-moving” pickup truck heading north on the highway.
The man was driving towards the scene of a fatal head-on crash between two pickup trucks that killed a driver and injured three others earlier in the afternoon. Police were still on scene investigating the crash and roads nearby had been closed.
The driver was allegedly driving erratically, crossing the centre line and swerving onto the shoulder as he drove up the highway near the crash site, according to an OPP spokesperson.
As the officer attempted to pull over the driver, he allegedly accelerated to speeds “well over” 150 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
“The speeding pickup posed a serious safety risk,” OPP say in a news release on Monday.
The driver was eventually pulled over and stopped south of the crash site where he was arrested. Police also allegedly found cannabis and alcohol in his vehicle.
The 40-year-old man from Belleville, Ont. was hit with a long list of charges, including stunt driving, driving while impaired, dangerous operation and for fleeing from a police officer.
The man was released and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on Sept. 12.