SSM OPP – Driver charged with Impaired after being warned not to drive

Despite a police warning, a driver chose to get behind the wheel after consuming alcoholic beverages.

On August 4, 2025, at approximately 2:40 a.m., an officer with the Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Provincial Police was conducting general patrol 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 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. Soon after, the officer observed the individual 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.

As a result, Robert LESAGE, 60 years-of-age, of Garden River First Nation was arrested and charged with:

• Operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs
• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on September 15, 2025 in Sault Ste. Marie. The accused was issued a 90-day Administrative Drivers Licence Suspension, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.

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OPP

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provide policing services throughout Ontario. Our officers are responsible for policing over one million square kilometres of land and waterways. They provide frontline policing services to more than 320 Ontario municipalities and patrol over 126,000 kilometres of provincial roadways.

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