2 More Impaired Drivers Arrested � Names Released

Source: OPP
Date: Thu Apr 24 12:17:53 MST 2025

(RAINY RIVER DISTRICT, ON) � The Rainy River District Detachment Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was busy over the long weekend with the arrest of two impaired drivers and 104 traffic related charges laid.

The first impaired incident occurred on April 19, 2025, at approximately 12:00 pm. Fort Frances OPP responded to a report of an unresponsive person behind the wheel of a car. Officers attended and forced entry into the vehicle.



Investigation determined that the driver was impaired by drug consumption and required medical intervention.

Brett BROWN, 19-years-old, from Fort Frances is charged criminally with one count of impaired operation alcohol or drug. The accused is scheduled to appear in the Fort Frances Ontario Court of Justice on May 12, 2025, to speak to the charge.

The second impaired driving incident also happened on April 19, at approximately 5:00 pm. An officer with the OPP in Atikokan stopped a vehicle on Hwy 11 west of town after the automated licence plate recognition (ALPR) instrument indicated on the licence plate of a passing vehicle.

The officer determined that the driver had been drinking and demanded a roadside alcohol test. The driver failed the test, was placed under arrest and transported to the Atikokan Detachment where additional breath testing was completed.

Joanie Alison SPOON, 45-years-old, from Seine River First Nation is charged criminally with one count of impaired operation alcohol or drug and one count impaired operation blood alcohol concentration 80 mgs or over.

The accused�s driver licence was suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.

The accused was released by police and has a first appearance in the Atikokan Ontario Court of Justice on May 29, 2025.

The Easter long weekend traffic campaign ran from Friday April 18 to Monday April 21. Officers in the Rainy River District laid a total of 104 traffic related charges. In a first for the district, the Fort Frances OPP teamed up with the Treaty Three Police Service and deployed a drone to capture video of drivers utilizing handheld communication devices while driving. This innovative project resulted in seven distracted driving charges.

Incidents of impaired driving continue to trend upward in the district. The Rainy River District Detachment OPP is committed to improving road safety through increased enforcement, and public education. The public can do its part by reporting impaired drivers. If you suspect someone is driving impaired call 9-1-1. Road safety is everyone�s shared responsibility.

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