A 29-year-old man is facing a criminal charge following a traffic stop that was conducted by Bay St. George RCMP on February 11, 2025.
Shortly before midnight last night, Bay St. George RCMP stopped a vehicle on Main Street in Stephenville and suspected that the driver was impaired by a drug. Police observed a quantity of cannabis inside the vehicle, near the driver. The man initially refused to exit the vehicle. He was provided a demand to complete roadside sobriety testing and performed poorly. The driver was arrested for drug impaired operation and was provided a demand for blood samples. He was transported to the Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital in Stephenville and refused to comply with the demand.
He now faces a charge of refusing to comply with a blood demand. The man is set to appear in court on April 7, 2025. His licence was suspended and the vehicle as seized and impounded.
Refusing to comply with a demand issued as part of an impaired driving investigation is a criminal offence. If convicted, a charge of refusing to comply with a demand carries the same penalty as a conviction for a charge of impaired operation.