(PENETANGUISHENE, ON) – Early Friday morning, members of the Southern Georgian Bay detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged a local resident with impaired driving.
On March 6, 2026, at approximately 3:00 a.m., officers were dispatched to Simcoe County Road 93 in the Town of Penetanguishene after receiving information about an impaired driver operating a white BMW sedan. Officers conducted patrols and located the suspect vehicle, unoccupied but warm to the touch, in a parking lot on Main Street in Penetanguishene.
A short time later, officers located the suspected driver in a nearby residential complex and noted signs of impairment. An Approved Screening Device (ASD) demand was made, and the driver provided a sample registering a Fail. The individual was arrested and transported to detachment, where further breath samples confirmed that they were over the legal limit.
As a result of this investigation, River LIZOTTE, 27 years old, of Penetanguishene, is charged with:
- Operation While Impaired
- Operation Over 80 Milligrams
The accused was released on a Undertaking and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Midland on March 19, 2026.
Impaired driving threatens the safety of the entire community. Every year, it contributes to serious crashes that could have been prevented with responsible choices. In support of public safety, we remind the public that officers are legally authorized to demand a breath sample when they suspect someone has recently operated a vehicle while impaired, including situations where the individual has entered a residence.