Impaired driving charges have been laid after the driver of a vehicle with two young children inside tried to avoid a RIDE checkpoint.
London police were running a RIDE program at Riverside Dr. and Wilson Ave. Sunday night. They say around 7pm, a vehicle heading east on Riverside dr. caught their attention after abruptly pulling into a driveway and turning in the opposite direction of police.
The vehicle was pulled over and the male driver arrested after police say he failed a roadside test.
A woman and two young children, aged three and five, were inside the vehicle at the time. The relationship between the man and the kids is not known. Police notified the Children's Aid Society and the children were left in the care of the female passenger.
The unidentified 33-year-old man is charged with impaired driving related offences.
"We do look for people trying to evade the RIDE program. If somebody is going to choose to make a U-turn or pull into a lane way, we will pull you over to determine your sobriety," says Constable Ken Steeves."What we advise is coming straight through the RIDE program, interacting with officers, and if you've had nothing to drink you're free to go."
London police launched the holiday Red Ribbon campaign on November 6. Less than 48 hours after the kick-off, seven people were charged with impaired driving.
"It shows people aren't getting the message" says Steeves.
