A 34-year-old Barrie man is facing impaired driving charges after a retired police officer reported dangerous driving over the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
Barrie Police say the incident occurred shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 11th, as the retired officer travelled eastbound on Highway 90 toward Barrie. The officer noticed a vehicle travelling at erratic speeds and struggling to stay in its lane.
At one point, the vehicle reportedly crossed two lanes, forcing oncoming traffic to pull off the road to avoid a collision.
The retired officer followed the vehicle to the intersection of Tiffin Street and Dunlop Street West, where he was able to get it off the road and take the driver’s keys.
When officers arrived, they reported detecting the odour of alcohol on the driver’s breath and observing that his eyes were glossy. The man was arrested and taken to Barrie Police Headquarters, where a qualified breath technician confirmed he was over the legal alcohol limit.
The Barrie man was charged with:
- Impaired operation
- Impaired operation with a blood alcohol concentration over 80.
His driver’s licence was suspended and his vehicle was impounded.
Police credited the retired officer’s actions with helping to get the driver off the road safely, but cautioned the public against intervening directly in suspected impaired driving situations.
Anyone who suspects a driver is impaired is encouraged to call 911 when it is safe to do so. Police say reporting suspected impaired driving can help prevent serious collisions and keep roads safe.
