As many scurried around Thursday morning cleaning up from the significant overnight snowfall, one individual was forced to cut his day of snow removal short.  Around 11:10 a.m. the Georgian Bluffs resident driving a John Deere loader tractor with a snow blower fixed to the rear, came in contact with a 2009 Honda Civic causing significant damage to the car.  The snow removal operator failed to remain at the scene of the collision and quickly left the city’s 1500 block of 18^th Avenue East area.  A concerned witness kept the tractor and its driver in view, observing the driver travel through several red traffic lights in his attempt to get away.  Officers arrived in the area of the 700 block of 7^th Avenue East locating the loader tractor and its driver.

Police soon discovered that the driver had had his drivers licence previously suspended for an impaired driving charge.  He had recently obtained his licence back with the condition that an Interlock Device be instable on any motor vehicle that he is to operate.  The John Deere tractor was not equipped with an Interlock Device pursuant to his conditions.   Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the accident.

 The 43-year-old man now faces a new Criminal Code charge of Operating a Motor Vehicle while Prohibited as well as charges under the Highway Traffic Act for Failing to Remain at the Scene of an Accident and Fail to Stop for Red Traffic Signal.  The tractor was towed and is to be impounded for a period of 45 days.  The driver will appear back in the Owen Sound Provincial Court of Justice on February 27^th to answer to the charges.