A Huntsville man’s reckless behaviour behind the wheel may well land him in jail.
Earlier this week in a Bracebridge courtroom, Benjamin Carpenter pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle.
Court heard that on June 7, 2020, Carpenter was one of a group of people who were part of a memorial ride along Highway #60 to pay tribute to friends who had passed away.
At some point during the drive, a motorist on his way to work passed the group, which caused members of the group, including Carpenter, to give chase.
Court heard the group caught up with the victim and boxed in his vehicle, shouting obscenities at him out of the windows. Eventually, one of the cars pulled in front of the victim and locked up its brakes, causing Carpenter to crash into a ditch and flip his car.
Court heard that part of the incident had been caught on a dashboard camera.
Carpenter’s lawyer said Carpenter had felt the victim had been driving dangerously when he passed the group, but he responded inappropriable.
Carpenter also agreed to the facts of another incident on April 21, 2021 wherein he had been spotted driving erratically in the Tim Hortons parking lot.
Court her that a complaint had been made to the OPP about a sedan that drove over a median and struck a propane cylinder. The car then proceeded to hit another car in the drive-through line and then strike the barrier at the Tim Hortons kiosk.
When the police arrived they observed Carpenter drive into a set of stairs in the parking lot, before he was pulled over. He admitted to police that he shouldn’t have been driving and tests showed Lorazepam in his system.
A pre-sentence report was ordered for February of 2022.
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