WRONG-WAY DRIVER SENTENCED

A video played for the court showed a car driven last December by a woman with more than double the legal limit of alcohol in her system heading south from Parry Sound in the northbound lanes of Highway 400 creating, her lawyer argued "the dynamic" of a secondary highway.

"Obviously ... she became disoriented," said defence counsel David Lackie, telling the court his client had entered "the highway at a different entrance than she normally takes. And, the state she was in, believed she was on a twoway highway, such as ... the 169 highway."

Catherine Knox, 64, of McDougall, pleaded guilty on May 9 at the Parry Sound Courthouse to driving while impaired on Dec. 22, 2021.

Multiple 911 calls were made about the wrong-way vehicle, Crown attorney Alexander Dobson told the court.

"(Travellers) described things such as the vehicle coming at them in their lane, not slowing or even responding to flashing headlights and honking, and one civilian even waived his arm out the window," said Dobson, who played the video for the court.

This is Knox's first criminal conviction.

"I always struggle with impaired charges because there are such serious consequences no matter what. The level of alcohol in your system makes it extremely serious," said Justice Bonnie Oldham, adding later, "I'm governed by the legislation that's out there and ... you are a first-time offender who otherwise has a sparkling record."

Knox was fined $2,000 plus victim fine surcharges, banned from driving for 18 months and put on probation for 12 months.

A charge of driving with more than 80 mg of alcohol in 100 mL of blood was withdrawn by the Crown.