A man from the Belleville area who was "visibly impaired" faces a slew of charges after Barrie police say he squealed his tires at a stop light before pulling into a south-end plaza early this morning.
City police say the driver caught the officer's attention around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 15 while heading southbound on Essa Road as he turned onto Fairview Road.
"The driver accelerated onto Fairview Road after initially hesitating for an advance green light and in doing so, spun the tires on his car which caused a loud squealing sound," police stated in a news release. "The driver then began to drive in the northbound lanes of Fairview Road while travelling southbound before pulling into a nearby plaza."
Police say the driver was arrested and taken to Barrie police headquarters, not far from the scene, for further investigation.
The man refused to co-operate with officers and would not provide a sample of his breath when asked to do so by a breathalyzer operator, according to police.
The 22-year-old Qunite West has been charged with stunt driving, using an unauthorized plate, operation of a motor vehicle while impaired (alcohol and drugs), failure or refusal to comply with a demand, driving without a licence, having care or control of a vehicle with open container of liquor, and two counts of failure to comply with release order.
The accused was held in custody and is scheduled to appear this afternoon for a bail hearing, by video, at the Barrie courthouse.
The vehicle he was operating has been impounded for seven days as a result of both the stunt-driving charge and refusing to provide a breath sample.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
