York Regional Police say a 911 caller may have saved lives after reporting that a 12-year-old boy was apparently driving a vehicle for his allegedly impaired father in Aurora.
The incident was captured on a York Regional Police cruiser’s dashcam on May 1. The video shows an officer pulling over a white car and the caller can be heard giving the dispatcher details.
“The car in front of me has almost caused two accidents,” the caller tells the dispatcher. “I pulled up and there’s a 12-year-old kid driving the car.”
“I’m like, ‘How old are you?’ And he goes, ‘Uh, 12.’ And I’m like, ‘You can’t be driving a car.’ And his dad’s obviously visibly what I think is drunk in the passenger seat,” the caller says.
Get daily Toronto news
“This was crazy. I’ve never seen like this in my life.”
The caller says two other cars honked and the father took over the driving and was “swerving” and “braking.” He says it appeared as if the father let his young son drive because he was intoxicated.
After the car pulls into a plaza parking lot, officers are seen evaluating the man. The officers ask the man to keep his eyes open and he attempts to walk in a straight line.
“Ok, because your son’s here — that’s why we came back here — but as of right now, you’re under arrest for impairment and you’re under arrest for child endangerment,” the officer says. Police confirmed to Global News the father was charged with impaired driving under the influence of drugs.
The officer tells the young boy, who does not appear on camera, that his dad has to go to the police station to talk about what happened.
“That’s it, OK? Nothing crazy,” the officer can be heard saying to the boy. “And then you can go home and chill with mom. Does that sound good?”
The officer then offers to buy a drink or a slushee for the boy.
Police released the video with a message that officers will be “laser-focused” on arresting impaired drivers this upcoming Victoria Day long weekend.