Members of the Russell County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged three individuals with impaired driving following separate incidents over the past two weeks.
The first incident occurred on Friday, January 23, at approximately 5:20 p.m., when officers responded to a report of a collision in the parking lot of a local business. Upon arrival, police observed that a pickup truck had struck several vehicles in the parking lot.
During the investigation, officers determined that the driver was impaired. The individual was arrested at the scene and transported to the detachment for further testing.
As a result, 74-year-old Joseph Godin of Clarence-Rockland was charged with operation while impaired and operation with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit (80 plus).
Godin received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days. He is scheduled to appear in Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The second incident took place on Saturday, January 24, at approximately 10:10 p.m., when officers on patrol conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, police administered an Approved Screening Device (ASD) test, which the driver failed. The individual was then arrested and taken to the detachment for additional testing.
Following the investigation, 39-year-old Peter Soja of Russell Township was charged with operation while impaired by alcohol and operation with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit.
Soja also received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days. He is scheduled to appear in Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The third incident occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 1, at approximately 3:15 a.m., when officers responded to a report of a snowmobile collision on an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) trail in The Nation Township.
Police attended the scene and, following an investigation, arrested the operator for impaired operation. The individual was transported to the detachment for further testing.
As a result, 46-year-old Jean-Paul Gaudreau of Clarence-Rockland was charged with operation while impaired by alcohol and operation with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit.
Gaudreau received a 90-day driver’s licence suspension, and the snowmobile was impounded for seven days. He is scheduled to appear in Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
The OPP remind motorists and recreational vehicle operators that impaired driving, including while operating snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles, remains a serious criminal offence and poses a significant risk to public safety.
