An impaired driver operating a street sweeper has been swept off the roads by Barrie police after allegedly driving into oncoming traffic in the city's south end Thursday evening.
The street sweeper was not city-owned and was not involved in scheduled work within Barrie at the time, police say. The accused had driven the vehicle from the Greater Toronto Area to Barrie.
On Nov. 14 at 7:14 p.m., police say officers received a 911 call for a suspected impaired driver travelling eastbound on Lockhart Road.
As officers made their way to the area, additional information was received by police about the person's driving behaviour. Police say the street sweeper was seen being driven into oncoming traffic and operating erratically before it left the road and became stuck in a ditch.
Upon arrival at the scene, police say the street sweeper's operator was attempting to remove it from the ditch. When spoken to by officers, police say the man "exhibited obvious signs of impairment."
A 35-year-old Barrie man was arrested for operation of a motor vehicle while impaired (alcohol or drug) and transported to police headquarters on Fairview Road for further investigation. While there, the man was interviewed by a breathalyzer technician.
Police said the man refused to co-operate when asked to provide suitable samples of his breath for analysis and, as a result, he was also charged with failure or refusal to comply with demand.
The accused has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Barrie on Dec. 2.
Police added that in accordance with the Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension (ADLS) program, the street sweeper the accused was operating has been impounded for seven days and his driver’s licence has been suspended for 90-days.
