Members of the Quinte West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) laid charges for three separate impaired driving investigations over the weekend.
On Saturday, July 5, 2025, at approximately 7:30 p.m., officers were conducting a RIDE program on Loyalist Parkway, where a suspended driver was arrested for being impaired. The driver was subsequently transported to detachment for further testing.
Alyssia PRESSICK, age 34, from Quinte West, was charged with the following offences:
- Operation while impaired – alcohol
- Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
- Driving while under suspension
- Novice Driver – B.A.C above zero
At the same RIDE program, shortly after 8:00 p.m., officers utilized an Approved Screening Device (ASD). The driver was arrested and transported to detachment for further testing.
Courtney POTHIERS, age 31, from Toronto, was charged with the following offences:
- Operation while impaired – alcohol
- Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
On Sunday, July 6, 2025, at approximately 8:00 p.m., officers were conducting another RIDE program on Loyalist Parkway where an ASD was utilized, resulting in the driver being arrested and transported to detachment for further testing.
Michael CAMPBELL, age 35, from Prince Edward County, was charged with the following offences:
- Operation while impaired – alcohol
- Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
All the accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville at a future date. Additionally, the vehicles they were operating were impounded for seven days, and their licenses were suspended for 90 days.
So far in 2025, Quinte West OPP have arrested and charged 82 individuals for impaired driving.
The financial cost of impaired driving in Ontario can range from $20,000 to $40,000 over a three or four-year period for a first-time conviction. This includes immediate penalties like fines and vehicle impoundment, as well as long-te rm expenses such as increased insurance premiums and the cost of mandatory programs like ignition interlock.
A breakdown of the costs:
Immediate Costs:
- Fines: A minimum fine of $1,000 for a first offense, and potentially higher for subsequent offenses.
- Licence Suspension: A 90-day administrative license suspension for a first offense, and a one-year post-conviction license suspension (reduced to 3 or 6 months in some cases).
- Vehicle Impoundment: 7-day administrative vehicle impoundment for a first offense, followed by a minimum of 45-day impoundment after conviction.
- Administrative Penalties: $550 administrative penalty, $281 license reinstatement fee.
- Impoundment Fees: A minimum of $1,800+ for impoundment fees.
- Legal Fees: $3, 500 – $4,000 for a plea or withdrawal, and $6,000+ for a trial
- This doesn’t not include the cost of interlock installed and removed from your vehicle and the increased cost of insurance premiums, if you are even able to get insurance.
If you suspect that someone is driving or about to drive impaired, call 9-1-1 and report it. You could save a life.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
