Sudbury police say sleeping driver had $44K in fentanyl in his vehicle

A Sudbury driver passed out at the wheel had fentanyl in the vehicle, while in Espanola, a suspect was caught with $16K worth of cocaine.

A 41-year-old man has been charged with drug trafficking and impaired driving after police in Sudbury received a tip Tuesday night about a vehicle in a parking lot on Algonquin Drive.

Officers arrived just after 9:50 p.m. and found the engine was running, the interior lights were on but the driver was fast asleep.

“Upon speaking with the driver, officers detected signs of impairment,” police said in a news release Wednesday.

“Officers conducted a standard field sobriety test on the driver, who performed poorly. The driver was arrested for impaired operation.”

Found 1,110 grams of fentanyl

A search of the suspect and his vehicle yielded 1,100 grams of fentanyl, a digital scale, packaging materials, a revolver, knives and $1,400 in cash.

The estimated value of the drugs seized is $44,000, police said.

An examination by a drug recognition expert determined the man was impaired by drugs.

He has been charged with trafficking, weapons offences, impaired driving and possession of property obtained by crime.

“He was transported to hospital to receive medical treatment for an unrelated matter; however he remains in police custody,” police said.