Barrie police are crediting a concerned citizen for taking a drug-impaired driver off the streets early this morning.
Shortly before 5 a.m. on Feb. 12, police got a call about a possible impaired driver in the city’s north end.
After a quick search in the area near East Bayfield Community Centre, police say officers located the vehicle and arrested a 23-year-old Toronto man.
Officers initially located the driver on Livia Herman Way, where he reportedly hit a snowbank before speeding off northbound on Micheale Crescent after police attempted to stop him.
"Police were able to locate the vehicle and the individual refused to stop," police communications coordinator Peter Leon said. "That's when he struck a (second) snowbank on Michael Crescent (as well as) a vehicle in the driveway and then came to a stop on the front lawn."
Officers quickly took the man into custody. Police say he was found to be in possession of both oxycodone and hydrocodone. He was arrested for impaired driving by drug. The driver is also facing charges of failure or refusal to comply with demand, driving while under suspension and failure to stop at a red light.
He was held in custody at Barrie police headquarters and was set to be released later today with a future court date.
The fact no one was injured as a result is a relief, Leon said.
“A couple of hours later there would have been a lot more people on the road (and) there would have school buses possibly out there as well (because) when impaired by drugs anything could happen," he said. "Impaired driving is impaired driving and it’s dangerous at any time of the day.
“We are just grateful that we are dealing more with property damage than people damage," Leon added. "This one didn’t go into a house, and we’ve seen that in the past as well. It is a recipe for potential disaster that thankfully didn’t happen.”
Leon also wanted to thank the Good Samaritan who made the early morning call.
“(They) reached out to us with their concern and … within minutes we had officers in the immediate area searching for the vehicle. (They) had (the driver) in custody within 12 minutes,” he said.
Leon also said the public plays a big part in helping get impaired drivers off the street.
“That person could have been on their way to work or coming home from work, but they saw something that seemed out of place, they made that call and we are grateful for that because obviously the outcome could have been much worse," he said.
