Father arrested for drunk driving after allegedly making 12-year-old son take the wheel
Posted May 21, 2021 1:27 pm.
Last Updated May 21, 2021 2:40 pm.
If you’ve ever second-guessed whether to call 9-1-1 when you spot someone you think might be driving impaired, York Regional Police have a message for you – make that call.
Investigators are sharing audio from a call made to the emergency line on May 1 that alerted them to a 12-year-old boy behind the wheel of a car with his father in the passenger seat.
The caller pulled up beside the vehicle and spoke to the boy, asking him how old he was.
The vehicle then pulled over and the father switched places with the child and began driving. As a result, York Police shared cruiser dashcam footage of the dad’s arrest.
“… As of right now, you’re under arrest for impairment,” an officer can be heard saying after the father finishes, and subsequently fails his sobriety test.
“And you’re under arrest for child endangerment.”
More than 3,500 people call 9-1-1 to report impaired drivers each year.
Police say they may have prevented serious crashes and have also led to thousands of impaired-related criminal charges.
