K9 unit tracks Oshawa man after he allegedly fled Peterborough traffic stop

An Oshawa man faces several charges after police claim he fled a traffic stop in Peterborough.

An OPP officer was on patrol on Hwy. 7 when he spotted a car speeding down the road around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. The officer pulled the car over and spoke with the driver. He concluded the driver was impaired by alcohol and asked the driver to step out of the car.

The driver complied but, police allege, he fled from the car on foot before submitting a breath sample. The OPP bought in a K9 search team to look for the man. They discovered him a short time later.

The OPP has charged Christopher Ballantyne, 26, with seven offences including impaired driving, speeding, obstructing an officer and failure to provide his information. His license has been suspended for 90 days and his car has been impounded for a week. He will appear in a Peterborough court on Oct. 10.

“Plan ahead when consuming alcohol,” the OPP said, “Use a designated driver, cab, public transit, or stay overnight. Any amount of alcohol or drugs can impact your ability to make sound judgements.”