Erratic driver charged with being impaired by drug

A driver was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs after a passenger took action to avoid a potentially serious collision Friday morning. Sarnia police responded to Confederation Street near Lansdowne Avenue at around 10 a.m. March 29. Thinking the driver was in some form of medical distress, police say a passenger in the vehicle grabbed the steering wheel to avoid drifting into head-on traffic and hitting a dump truck. The vehicle then left the south side of Confederation Street, went into a parking lot, and struck a curb before the passenger brought it to a stop by putting the gearshift into park. There were no injuries but the driver was taken to hospital by Lambton EMS. After being released from hospital, the 23-year-old male driver was tested at the police station by a Drug Recognition Examiner and charged.