Owen Sound Police are out with a reminder about mobility scooters after responding to an impaired driving incident.
City Police say they were contacted around 10:45 p.m. Sunday night by a concerned community member who observed a man “who had been consuming alcohol and was preparing to leave a residence on a mobility scooter.”
“Officers attended the residence and spoke with the individual. After being educated on impaired driving laws and the legal consequences of operating a mobility scooter while impaired, the male agreed to leave the scooter parked and make alternate arrangements,” Owen Sound Police say in a release. “He advised officers that he would return to retrieve the scooter at a later date.”
But police say they then received another report about a half hour later, indicating the same man was observed leaving the residence on his mobility scooter.
“Officers located the male a short distance away in the middle of the roadway consuming an alcoholic beverage,” Owen Sound Police say.
Police say the man failed a roadside screening test, and was then arrested and transported to the Owen Sound Police Service building for further testing. Police allege the man’s blood alcohol exceeded the legal limit.
The 65-year-old man was charged with operation while impaired.
Owen Sound Police say the incident serves as a reminder mobility scooters are considered motor vehicles under the criminal code, and impaired driving laws apply like any other car.
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