A woman’s decision to drive an ATV white impaired led to an accident in Muskoka Lakes and severe injuries for a passenger, a Bracebridge court recently heard.
Sharlaine Fawthrop, 39, pled guilty to impaired driving causing bodily harm stemming from an incident that occurred May 17, 2023.
Court heard that on that day at roughly 3:30 pm Bracebridge OPP were called to an ATV collision involving two women on Torrance Road.
EMS arrived to find one woman lying in the middle of the road and a damaged ATV nearby. The woman was airlifted to St. Michaels Hospital with a brain bleed.
Court heard that Fawthrop was driving the ATV at the time of the incident. Fawthrop had been swerving the ATV in what appeared to be an intentional manner when it flipped. Neither woman was wearing a helmet and both were knocked unconscious. Fawthrop woke up and walked away from the scene, police were told by a witness.
The same witness said he had lent the ATV to the women that day but claimed he had never met them before.
K9 units were called in to help track Fawthrop, which eventually led them to the home of the witness who had lent Fawthrop the ATV.
Fearing for Fawthrop’s safety in light being knocked unconscious, the police entered the home and found her in the basement attempting to barricade the door shut.
At 8:05 pm blood samples were taken and Fawthrop registered more than double the legal limit of alcohol in her system. Court heard Fawthrop was a suspended driver at the time.
A pre-sentence report will be conducted and the matter will return to court for sentencing.
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