NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE
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York Regional Police has charged 27 drivers over the past week with impaired-related criminal driving offences. In one of the incidents which occurred on Friday, May 31, 2019, shortly before 3 p.m., York Regional Police received a call to 9-1-1 from a concerned citizen who had watched a driver collide with a parked car, drive away, strike a pole in front of his house before exiting his vehicle, falling to the ground, then staggering inside.
When officers arrived, they saw a damaged car on Norbury Drive in Markham, along with a trail of fluids that led them to the house the suspect driver had entered. York Region Paramedics were already on scene speaking with the suspect inside his residence. He was not injured, but appeared to be impaired by alcohol. He was placed under arrest for Impaired Driving and transported to #5 District Headquarters for a breath test, where he blew over the legal limit for alcohol.
Charged:
- 66-year-old man from the City of Markham
Charges:
- Impaired operation
- 80 plus
- Dangerous operation
- Fail to stop after collision
York Regional Police continues its ongoing efforts to stop impaired driving on our roads through enforcement and education, but the greatest impact in improving road safety comes from the partnership of our citizens and road users in York Region. Safe Roads: Your Call encourages citizens to call 9-1-1 if they suspect an impaired driver. We consider these incidents a life-threatening crime in progress and will continue to respond to these calls.
More than 5,000 people call 9-1-1 to report impaired driving each year. So far in 2019, more than 1,000 calls to 9- 1-1 have helped to safely remove impaired drivers from our roads, which has led to more than 600 impaired-related criminal charges being laid. These 9-1-1 calls have come in to us from many different sources, from others motorists, pedestrians, drive-thru employees, gas station attendants, liquor store employees, neighbours, family and friends calling in to prevent potentially devastating situations. These calls save lives.
York Regional Police is reminding residents it has temporarily suspended the release of names of drivers charged with impaired driving as we review the process and analyze the data to determine if the practice has resulted in reduced incidents of impaired driving. For more information, please contact the York Regional Police Road Safety Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7703 or contact Corporate Communications at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 2664.
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