A man found asleep at the wheel on a Vaughan road is now facing impaired, drug, and firearm-related charges, police say.
York Regional Police said officers were conducting a patrol in the Keele Street area, south of Rivermede Road, around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday when they saw a vehicle stopped on the road with the driver sleeping.
Not only was the driver asleep, but a man in the back seat was also sleeping, police allege.
It was determined that the driver was impaired and when he woke up, he tried to flee from officers but was unsuccessful, police said.
The driver and the passenger were arrested.
Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly discovered a loaded handgun, a “large quantity” of drugs, and cash.
Search warrants were later executed at one suspect’s home in Toronto and drugs and ammunition were located, police said.
Twenty-eight-year-old Nicholas Baker, of Toronto, and 28-year-old James Nahshon, of no fixed address, have since been charged.
Charges laid include two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking an opioid, possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm without registration certificates, and unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Baker is also facing impaired operation of a motor vehicle and over 80 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood.