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December 1, 2021

Alex Kurial/Local Journalism Initiative

Police had their pick of reasons for pulling over Codie Moran last December.
Most notably being he tore through a pair of Lambton towns on his rims after losing a front tire.

There was also a call he’d been in a collision and the fact he was swerving all over the road – partly due to being on three wheels.

Multiple drugs in Moran’s body also did little to aid his driving abilities.

Moran covered a fair distance between the original call to police and being pulled over, sparking his way south on Nauvoo Road through Watford and Brooke-Alvinston before he was finally stopped shortly after 6 pm Dec. 23.

The stopped motorist insisted he was on Highway 40 headed to Wallaceburg. Officers informed Moran he was “nowhere close” and in fact a great distance east of the road he believed himself on.

Moran then had trouble getting out of his vehicle and standing up. He also had droopy eyes and slurred speech. Officers suspected he was drunk but a roadside test showed an alcohol level of zero. That’s because it was drugs intoxicating Moran, specifically fentanyl and methadone.

This was confirmed through a blood draw after Moran was arrested and taken to the hospital.

A pre-sentence report will now be prepared focusing on probation terms and counselling efforts for Moran. He’ll return for sentencing in the new year.

The Local Journalism Initiative supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.

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