A Barrie Police canine officer is being credited with tracking down a suspect.
Several concerned citizens contacted police on Wednesday morning about a possible drunk driver operating a dump truck heading eastbound on Dunlop Street from Springwater.
Police located the truck and say while the officer was speaking with the driver, he sped off in a dangerous manner and later abandoned the vehicle on Archer Street.
A perimeter was set up and the canine unit was called in, and service dog “Serge” located the suspect in a nearby greenspace.
A 41-year-old male from Brampton, Ontario was taken into custody and transported to Barrie Police Headquarters where the investigation continued with the assistance of Investigative Services. As a result, the driver is now facing the following Criminal Code charges:
Impaired Operation
Flight from Peace Officer
Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Operate Motor Vehicle while Prohibited
Fail to Comply with Probation Order
Take Motor Vehicle Without Consent.
The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice located in Barrie on June 29, 2022.
Barrie Police wish to acknowledge that the public played a significant role in removing an impaired and dangerous driver from our streets as the initial calls received provided police with information that readily identified the dump truck and subsequently, the impaired driver.