A 38-year-old North Bay resident is facing 17 charges after the OPP says he failed to stop for officers during a traffic stop on Wednesday afternoon.

Ontario Provincial Police say they attempted to stop a vehicle on Highway 17 West of North Bay, with a stationary OPP cruiser struck and a vehicle reported to be driving dangerously through a hospital parking lot then on Highway 11 north of the city.

Officers located the vehicle on Tomiko Lake Road in Merrick Township after it left the roadway and was damaged.

The OPP says the driver attempted to flee and was taken into custody.

A search resulted in police seizing suspected clonazepam pills, crystal methamphetamine, brass knuckles, bear spray, a large quantity of Canadian currency, and more.

Some of the charges include possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, flight from a peace officer, drug-possession for the purpose of trafficking, fail to comply with probation order and more.

The accused remains in custody with an Oct. 29 court appearance in North Bay.

Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years.  From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.