Crown attorney Brian Crockett, 64, has been charged with impaired driving and failing to provide a breath sample after a weekend incident.
Woodstock police and fire crews were called to the scene of a vehicle fire on Oxford Road 17 east of Lakeview Drive shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Police say a silver pickup had been attempting to reverse out of the entrance to a walking trail when it ended up in the ditch.
As the driver attempted to get the vehicle out of the ditch, the engine ignited what appeared to be a small grass fire, prompting area residents to contact emergency services.
Crockett was not injured in the incident.
The Crown attorney was one of the lead prosecutors at the Michael Rafferty trial and spent much of the last three years overseeing evidence in the Tori Stafford murder case.
The community has reacted with shock following news of the charges, as Crockett is well-known in Woodstock.
He chairs the Woodstock Public Library Board and friends say he is also a foster parent.
Robert Solomon, a law professor and policy director for MADD, says those in high profile positions like Crockett are often held to a higher standard.
“If I am a school teacher, then because I am in the position as a mentor, then it does matter. And so I would say the same would apply to anyone who’s an officer who’s engaged in public life in the criminal justice system.”
Crockett’s family declined to comment on the charges when contacted by CTV News.
The Crown’s office will have to bring in an outside prosecutor for the case and a court date has not yet been set.
