08-08-2025
Police offered drunk man a ride before he got in his vehicle
A suspect who tried to shoo away police has been arrested for impaired driving after refusing an offer for a courtesy ride home and getting behind the wheel. (File)
A suspect who tried to shoo away police has been arrested for impaired driving after refusing an offer for a courtesy ride home and getting behind the wheel.
Ontario Provincial Police in Sault Ste. Marie said the incident took place around 2:40 a.m. on Highway 17 near Belleau Lake Road.
'An individual who appeared highly intoxicated approached the police cruiser and requested the officer leave the area,' the OPP said in a news release Friday.
'The individual then stated they would be driving to their residence shortly. The officer warned the individual not to drive and offered them a courtesy ride home, which the individual refused.'
Officers then saw him drive out of a nearby parking lot in a side-by-side vehicle.
'The vehicle was stopped due to the officer's earlier observations and grounds to believe the driver was impaired by alcohol,' police said.
The 60-year-old from Garden River First Nation was charged with impaired driving and was released from custody.
He is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on Sept. 15 in Sault Ste. Marie. His driver's licence was suspended for 90 days and the side-by-side was impounded for a week.
