A man is facing impaired driving charges after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel while waiting to make a left-hand turn in East Gwillimbury.
York Regional Police said that they were called to Green Lane, east of Leslie Street, around 5 p.m. on Feb. 11 for reports of a driver asleep at the wheel.
“When officers arrived, they found the vehicle waiting to turn left from Green Lane into a transit station,” police said in a news release issued Tuesday. “Officers were able to shut off the vehicle and after numerous attempts were able to wake up the driver who smelled of alcohol.”
Dash camera footage released by police shows an officer pulling up to a pickup truck and trying to wake the driver. The officer can be seen opening the driver-side door and turning off the engine before waking the driver.
Loud music can be heard in the video blasting from the vehicle’s speakers.
York police said that the driver was placed under arrest and was transported to a police station for a breath test. The driver blew more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit, police said.
The driver is one of 29 people charged with impaired-related offences over the past week. According to York Regional Police, more than 200 impaired-related criminal charges have been laid in the area this year.
“We are reminding drivers that York Regional Police conducts RIDE spot checks year-round and that our officers are always watching for suspected impaired drivers,” the news release read. “We also continue to encourage citizens to call 9-1-1 if you spot a suspected impaired driver.”
