Police have arrested a 19-year-old man for impaired driving after a sports utility vehicle plunged from a downtown Toronto street into Lake Ontario early Saturday morning.
The incident occurred just before 5:20 a.m. when the black Mercedes-Benz SUV was driven south on Spadina Avenue, past Queens Quay West and into the lake.
Sgt. Andy Norrie said the man was able to escape the vehicle as it sank. He was the sole occupant in the vehicle.
Witnesses then threw a life ring to the man, said Norrie. The life preserver rings are available at points along the lake's edge.
The man was transported to a nearby hospital. Police said he doesn't have any serious injuries, but his time in the frigid water is a concern.
Toronto's temperature dipped as low as - 14 C on Saturday morning, with the wind chill making it feel as cold as - 20 C.
Police said the man's driving isn't believed to have hurt or affected anyone else in the area.
Prior to hitting the water, the truck would have had to get past the Spadina WaveDeck, an undulating wooden deck with barriers distancing passersby from the water.
Police dive teams arrived on scene early Saturday afternoon. The vehicle was pulled from the water a short time later.
Hang Jiang is scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on Feb. 21.
With files from CTV Toronto's Ashley Rowe
