(PEMBROKE, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) 2025 Festive R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign commenced on November 20, 2025, and will continue until January 1, 2026. During the third week of the campaign from December 4 to December 10, 2025, officers from the Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the OPP conducted 35 RIDE checks throughout the detachment area.
During the RIDE checks drivers were found to be in full compliance with the law and no impaired driving or over 80mg charges were reported as a result of the RIDE campaign.
Despite the compliance at the RIDE checks, UOV OPP officers charged one driver with impaired driving-related offences during the week.
On December 7, 2025, at approximately 3:00 a.m., police responded to an incident at a residence in Killaloe-Hagarty-Richards Township. An individual at the scene had been driving a side-by-side ATV. A Roadside Screening Device was utilized, and the driver was transported to the detachment for further testing.
As a result of this incident 31-year-old Ryan VERCH has been charged with the following Criminal Code (CC) offences:
· Operation while impaired – alcohol
· Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration 80mg plus
The accused was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Pembroke on January 5, 2026. The accused also had their driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and their ATV was towed and impounded for 14 days.
