(TINY TOWNSHIP, GEORGIAN BAY TOWNSHIP, MIDLAND, ON) – Officers from the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police were kept busy last Saturday with impaired driving investigations, which led to three drivers facing several charges.
On December 6, 2025, at about 6:00 a.m., officers along with the Tiny Township Fire Department responded to a crash alert from a cellular phone on Rue Lafontaine East in Tiny Township. A vehicle was located in the ditch with the airbags deployed, and officers located a person in the back seat of the car. The individual told officers that another person was driving the car when it left the roadway; however, officers determined that the person in the back seat was the one who had been driving at the time of the collision. Officers had grounds to believe the driver had been drinking alcohol and administered a roadside screening test. The driver was arrested based on the results; however, they refused to provide further samples.
As a result of this investigation, Derek MACPHAIL, 22 years of Tiny Township, faces the following charges contrary to the Criminal Code:
- Operation While Impaired
- Failure or Refusal to Comply with Breath Demand
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Later that morning, at about 9:30 a.m., several citizens called police to report a red pickup truck being driven in an erratic manner, travelling northbound on Highway 400 in Georgian Bay Township. Witnesses observed the truck cross into the southbound lanes and get stuck on the shoulder. The driver freed the truck and, at one point, was travelling northbound in the southbound lanes of the highway. Officers were unable to find the truck at the time of the call; however, it was located at about 11:30 a.m. on South Bay Rd., near Highway 400, with someone sleeping in the back seat. Officers attended with paramedics to speak with the individual, who was displaying signs of alcohol impairment. They were arrested but refused to provide a breath sample.
As a result of this investigation, Riley RAND, 26 years of Parry Sound, faces the following charges contrary to the Criminal Code:
- Operation While Impaired
- Failure or Refusal to Comply with Breath Demand
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On December 6, 2025, at about 9:00 p.m., officers were stopped at the side of the road, preparing to commence a RIDE spot check on Harbourview Drive in the Town of Midland. A vehicle pulled over, and the driver rolled down the window to ask for directions. Upon speaking with the driver, the officer had concerns that they were under the influence of alcohol. A roadside test was administered, and a “Fail” was registered. The driver was arrested and transported to detachment to provide further breath samples.
As a result of this investigation, Edward POWLESS, 47 years of McDougall, faces the following charges contrary to the Criminal Code:
- Operation While Impaired
- Operation While Over 80 Milligrams
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The accused parties from the above occurrences were released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Midland at a later date. Upon being charged with impaired driving, the accused’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.
The OPP reminds motorists to plan ahead and use a designated driver, cab, public transit, or stay overnight. Any amount of alcohol or drugs can impair your ability to make sound decisions. To report suspected impaired drivers, call 911 or the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
