Jerrold Cotton, the former chief of the Collingwood Corner, Nova Scotia, fire department, is facing charges of impaired driving and obstructing a peace officer in New Brunswick. The 51-year-old was involved in a vehicle crash on May 4 on Highway 2 near Sackville, according to the RCMP. Officers at the scene reported finding open liquor in Cotton's vehicle and noted signs of intoxication. He was the only person in the vehicle at the time.

Cotton appeared in Moncton provincial court on August 29, where he faced charges of impaired driving, driving with a blood alcohol concentration over 80, and obstructing a peace officer. The RCMP did not provide further comments on the case.

This incident follows a tragic event in February, when Cotton struck a snowmobiler while driving a municipal fire truck. Blake Nicholson, 28, was snowmobiling on Wyvern Road when he crashed into a snowbank. Witnesses reported that they were performing CPR on him when Cotton's fire truck arrived and struck him. Nicholson was pronounced dead shortly after the collision.

Nicholson was remembered in his obituary as an avid outdoorsman who had a generous spirit. He left behind his fiancée and their two-year-old son. The investigation into the February incident remains open, and no charges have been filed against Cotton regarding the collision with Nicholson. The RCMP have not disclosed whether they have evidence that could clarify the circumstances of the crash.

Following the February incident, Cotton was removed from his position as fire chief. He had previously pleaded guilty to impaired driving in 2020, which resulted in a fine and a suspension of his driver's license. In response to his actions, the Municipality of Cumberland enacted a new bylaw that established a code of conduct for fire chiefs and deputy chiefs.

In February, municipal officials found Cotton and his then-deputy fire chief, Andrea Bishop, in violation of this code of conduct. As a result, both were discharged from their positions and banned for life from the fire hall. The municipality also changed the locks at the fire hall following their removal.

Cotton is scheduled to return to Moncton provincial court on October 17 to enter a plea regarding the latest impaired driving charges.