Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Bolus drinking: How a Sudbury man's last few drinks helped him beat a drunk driving charge:
A Sudbury man beat impaired driving charges this month – although he was found guilty on related charges – thanks to a legal defence known as the 'bolus drinking' defence. The term, also known as the last drink defence, can be used in circumstances when a suspected drunk driver consumes a lot of alcohol just before getting into an accident or getting pulled over. If there is a significant delay between the suspect's last drink and the admission of the breathalyzer, it can create reasonable doubt whether the alcohol had been absorbed at the time of the accident – and therefore, whether the driver was impaired when the actual incident took place. Prosecutors can get around this problem by calling an expert witness who can give an informed estimated about what the suspect's blood alcohol level would have been at the time of the accident or arrest. The Sudbury case dates back to June 2017, when the man left a Minnow Lake-area bar and headed home to Coniston. He admitted that he began drinking at 5 p.m., downing his last whiskey before getting in his vehicle and colliding with another vehicle at the corner of the Kingsway and 3rd Avenue. The drive from the bar to the scene of the accident is about three minutes, the court records show, with police being called around 7:44 p.m. to respond, arriving at 8:11 p.m. The constable investigating the crash said he suspected drunk driving, did his own investigation and called for the breathalyzer at 8:24 p.m. after smelling alcohol from the suspect, noticing he had peed his pants and listening to him slur his words. The driver gave roadside breath samples, and more back at police headquarters, all showing alcohol in his blood was well above the legal limit. However, the judge ruled there was strong evidence the man had consumed quite of bit of alcohol minutes before the crash. Under legal precedent, this raised doubt about whether he was impaired at the time of the crash, since it takes some time for alcohol to be absorbed.
Man, 55, died Saturday after crashing truck on Panache Lake Road:
A 55-year-old man has died after crashing a pick-up truck on Panache Lake Road Saturday. At around 10 a.m. Sept. 29, the man was driving the truck northbound on Panache Lake Road. The vehicle left the road south of the Vermillion River bridge, struck several items off of the road and received extensive damage. The truck's only occupant, the 55-year-old man driving the vehicle, received serious injuries and died from his injuries on scene. The driver's identity is not being released at this time pending notification of the next of kin. The Greater Sudbury Police Service Traffic Management Unit is investigating and is appealing to the public for any witnesses to this collision or to any person who may have seen this vehicle being operated before the collision in the area of Panache Lake Road or Old Highway 17 between Lively and Whitefish. The vehicle is a black 2007 Chevrolet Silverado with a steel tubular rack in the back box of the truck.
Two-game win streak: Look who’s unbeaten at home to start the season:
The Sudbury Wolves completed a third-period comeback and got some revenge on the Barrie Colts with a 3-2 overtime win Sunday afternoon. It was a second straight win for the Wolves who improve to 3-2 on the season and get a bit of payback after taking a 10-3 loss in Barrie on Thursday. “Definitely shows our determination out there,” said Quinton Byfield. “This season we want to win, and just battling back getting in the game there, is definitely important. Getting that overtime goal was huge for us, especially getting revenge on them after the big loss. So I think it was really a good game, good comeback.” The Wolves improve their record and also take a step towards distancing themselves from last season, when Sudbury didn’t pick up its third win until Oct. 18. They’re on a two-game win streak, unbeaten at home and picked up that third win before the calendar turned to October. It’s a big boost as the local juniors once again hit the road and won’t be back home until Oct. 12.
Rainbow board will become only Northern Ontario school board to livestream its meetings:
Those interested in taking in the proceedings at Rainbow District School Board public meetings will soon be able to do so from their computers, iPads or mobile phones, as the board is implementing livestreaming technology. The board did an internal test of its livestreaming technology at the Sept. 25 board meeting, and will do another test at the Oct. 23 meeting. Rainbow board chair Doreen Dewar said the board considered the idea about five years ago, but it wasn't possible at that time because of the limitations of its old downtown Sudbury board office. Check back with Sudbury.com for more on this story later today.
Kits allowing residents to vote by mail alarms school board critics:
A Rainbow District School Board trustee and a member of the SOS -- Save Our Sudbury area Schools from Rainbow Board Spending Facebook group – were sounding some alarm bells last week after a photo of a Vote by Mail Kit appeared on social media. The mail kits are being delivered to residents in unorganized townships that don't fall within the city's municipal boundaries, but are still within the boundary for the school boards. Kits include a voting instruction sheet, a composite ballot, an inner ballot envelope coded with the with the ward, a security slip and an outer return envelope. SOS group member Chantelle Gorham posted a photo of the slip on Sept. 27 at 4:06 p.m., writing, "Does anyone else find this a little hinkey? Townships that are unorganized and not on the voter map are getting official looking voter slips sent to them. It only has the position of trustee, and is to be mailed directly to the Rainbow School Board. I wonder how honest they will be when counting former Director Ewing’s Votes? #BuddyBallot. P.S. We don’t need Gord Ewing sticking his nose back in, and Ruth Ward is our current, and completely useless trustee. Choose wisely Folks!" On the same day at 11:45 p.m., Rainbow Board trustee Larry Killens sent an email Sudbury.com, saying that he found it "deeply troubling that the Rainbow District School Board appears to be receiving ballots for the upcoming election." Killens requested that board chair Doreen Dewar and director of education Norm Blaseg notify Premier Doug Ford and Elections Ontario of this. Full story can be found here.
Cambrian College helps students take reins of businesses:
Cambrian College is giving students and alumni another career option upon graduation: pick up an existing business and run it. The college has partnered with the firm SuccessionMatching, and has joined its Be Your Own Boss program. It is one of seven post-secondary institutions in Canada to sign up. The Be Your Own Boss program engages post-secondary students and alumni to consider purchasing an existing business instead of starting their own. Under the program, SuccessionMatching links post-secondary students and graduates with private entrepreneurs and businesses owners who are considering selling their companies, and are looking for suitable successors who can take over the business. More on this story can be found here.
Tuesday Weather:
Mix of sun and cloud for Tuesday with a high of around 12. A few clouds this evening with the low dropping to 2. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
