Six drivers charged with impaired driving in first half of March

Bracebridge OPP has charged six drivers with impaired driving-related offences in the first two weeks of March, reinforcing the ongoing concerns about road safety in the region.

The charges stem from a series of incidents across Bracebridge and Gravenhurst, many of which were initiated by concerned citizens reporting erratic driving behaviour.

The first incident occurred on Friday, March 7, when officers responded to a single-vehicle collision on Germania Road near Gilbert Lane just before 3:00 a.m. The vehicle had left the roadway and became lodged in a snowbank. The driver was uninjured. David Reisman, 34, of Bracebridge, was charged with Operation While Impaired (Over 80). He is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bracebridge on April 1. 

On Saturday, March 8, at 8:40 p.m., police responded to a report from a concerned citizen about a vehicle driving on Highway 11 North in Gravenhurst. The caller reported that the vehicle struck the concrete median before continuing to drive. Officers located the vehicle near Highway 118. Joel Lizotte, 32, of Penetanguishene, has been charged with Operation While Impaired (Over 80). Lizotte is set to appear in court on April 15. 

The following morning, on Sunday, March 9, at 1:40 a.m., officers conducting patrols in Bracebridge stopped a vehicle on Wellington Street. Bradley Williams, 38, of Severn, was arrested and charged with Operation While Impaired (Over 80). His court date is scheduled for April 15. 

Later that evening, just before midnight, police in Gravenhurst responded to reports of a vehicle driving erratically on Bay Street. The vehicle was located in a parking lot near the Gravenhurst Wharf. Gerald Tabachack, 35, of Wikwemikong, has been charged with Operation While Impaired – Alcohol and Drug. He will appear in court on April 22. 

On Saturday, March 15, at 10:00 p.m., officers conducting a RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) program on Ecclestone Drive in Bracebridge noticed a vehicle attempting to avoid the checkpoint. Sean Despins, 26, of Gravenhurst was arrested and charged with Operation While Impaired. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 8, 2025.

The final incident occurred on Sunday, March 16, at 8:30 p.m., when police responded to a report of a possibly impaired driver on Bethune Drive in Gravenhurst. Officers located the vehicle on Pine Street in Bracebridge. Shannon Sutey, 30, of Bracebridge, was charged with Operation While Impaired (Over 80). Her court date is set for April 8. 

The Bracebridge OPP continues to stress the importance of community involvement in ensuring road safety. They encourage the public to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 9-1-1 from a hands-free device.

“These incidents highlight the continued need for vigilance when it comes to impaired driving,” OPP stated in a press release. “Thanks to the efforts of concerned citizens and proactive policing, we have been able to take multiple impaired drivers off the roads.”