drunk driver highway 407

A simple phone call got this extremely drunk driver and bad liar arrested near Toronto

A concerned 911 caller may have saved lives by phoning in a report of an alleged drunk driver after the visibly intoxicated patron staggered out of their establishment on the evening of Dec. 5.

York Regional Police (YRP) shared the shocking video on social media Tuesday, serving as a stark reminder that tips from the public are a crucial element in keeping roads safe.

"I need police in Markham, please," an anonymous 911 caller can be heard saying while driving along Highway 407.

"So, I got a customer that just left my establishment," says the concerned business owner, telling the dispatcher that the driver is "very, very drunk."

The 9-1-1 operator asks the caller, "OK, so how do you know he's intoxicated?"

The concerned caller seemed pretty convinced, telling the operator that the driver "was passed out in my locker room, we had to wait for security to wake him up."

The caller then tells the operator that a squad car is behind him, and the video cuts to a white Range Rover pulled over on the shoulder of the highway, illuminated by the police car's flashing emergency lights.

An officer asks the male driver of the vehicle, "why are you pulled over?" and is told by SUV's occupant that "I ran out of gas."

Not off to a great start, I see.

When questioned about his plainly obvious alcohol consumption that night, the driver claims that he "just went to the spa," not knowing that the officer was already fully aware he had just left a drinking establishment.

But the cop immediately calls out the driver's bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, asking the man to step out of the vehicle and placing him under arrest for impaired driving.

The arresting officers then reveal an almost empty bottle of Crown Royal recovered from the vehicle, which itself is a violation of the Highway Traffic Act. Two cans of Twisted Tea are also visible on the hood of the police car.

In the clip, the YRP state that this caller is just one of nearly 5,000 annual tips they receive about impaired drivers, citizen action that undoubtedly saves many lives.

"We are thankful for you because, without people like you, we can't do these kind of things. These are the people we need to get off the street," says the 911 operator to the caller.

"He was so drunk," replied the caller, "I've never seen this before."

Lead photo by

York Regional Police


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