Barrie Police have charged a 21-year-old man with impaired driving after officers found him asleep behind the wheel of an idling vehicle in a Bayfield Street fast-food parking lot.
Officers were called at around 7:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 24th after a concerned citizen reported a vehicle had been running in the parking lot for more than two hours. When officers arrived, they found the driver slumped over in the seat with his foot near the accelerator pedal.
Investigators say the man appeared disoriented when awakened, with glassy eyes, slurred speech, and a strong smell of alcohol. A roadside screening test resulted in a fail, and the driver was arrested. Further breath testing at police headquarters allegedly showed the accused was nearly twice the legal alcohol limit.
The man now faces impaired driving and over-80 charges. His licence was suspended and the vehicle was impounded.
Barrie Police are reminding the public that sleeping inside a parked or idling vehicle after consuming alcohol or drugs can still result in impaired driving charges if a person is considered to be in care or control of the vehicle.
