Four-year-old, fentanyl found in backseat of allegedly impaired Sudbury driver

A four-year-old child and more than $24,000 worth of fentanyl was found in the backseat of an allegedly drugged-up driver in Greater Sudbury, Ontario on Wednesday, CTV News reports.

The driver, 33, was allegedly found unconscious in his car with a child in the back seat. The driver was arrested after failing a sobriety test. He was taken back to the police station where he was analyzed by a drug recognition expert who concluded that the man was intoxicated on drugs.

Greater Sudbury has long had a problem with drugs in the city, stemming from the decline of the mining industry. The city has experienced the second highest rate of opioid-related deaths in Ontario of any public health region since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Information provided was that the driver and passenger appeared to be unconscious and that there was a child in the back seat," said the Sudbury police. "Officers and paramedics arrived on scene. The driver, passenger and child were cleared medically by paramedics; however the driver showed visible signs of impairment."

The driver's car was impounded and his license suspended for 90 days as the child, according to police, "has been safely placed with a guardian."

The driver is now being charged with drug possession and drug-impaired driving. He was released with an undertaking and is expected to appear in court on Feb 15.