Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Russell County officers intercepted the three drivers between December 26 and January 3. The incidents were among 1073 calls for service the police detachment received between December 14 and January 11.

An Almonte man was pulled over and arrested at about 11:30 p.m. on December 26 along Russell Road in Clarence-Rockland. Police said an officer found he had been consuming drugs and was impaired, and he was taken to the detachment for more testing. John Christopher David Lavoie, 42, was charged with operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs.

Another Ontario driver was pulled over and charged on the westbound Highway 417 near the Limoges exit on January 2 at about 9:30 p.m. Brittany Mari-Aliette Spicer, 28, of Rockland was charged with operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus) after she was tested at the scene, then taken to the detachment for further screening.

Later that night, at about 3:00 a.m. on January 3, another Rockland driver was arrested and charged for failing to provide a breath sample to officers. Police said the man was pulled over as part of a RIDE program along Laval Street in Bourget, but refused to be tested and was “uncooperative with the officer”.

Gaston Charette, 57, was charged with failure or refusal to comply with demand. All three motorists’ licenses were suspended for 90 days and their vehicles were impounded for a week. All were due to face the Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal at a later date.