A Barrie Police officer's downtown patrol on Thursday night led to the arrest of a man found asleep in a parked car, later found to have a blood alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit.
Around 9:30 p.m., the female officer saw parked vehicle with its rear hatch partially open on Mulcaster Street. One person was in the driver's seat and appeared to be asleep.
Once contact was made with the driver, the officer noticed signs of impairment which included slow and slurred speech and difficulty responding to instruction. The man even reached for an open alcohol container while speaking to police.
The 61-year-old man from Barrie was arrested, and was handed two impaired operation charges. A breath sample provided at police headquarters indicated his blood alcohol content was nearly 240 milligrams per litre.
His vehicle was impounded, and his driver’s licence was suspended.
"Impaired driving remains a leading cause of criminal death in Canada and poses a significant risk to public safety," the service said in a news release. "Over the past week, Barrie police officers have made half a dozen impaired driving arrests."
Police add that even if a vehicle is stationary, a person can still be charged if they are found to be impaired while in an operating position.
