NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE POLICE SERVICE
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Investigators from Barrie Police Traffic Services have arrested and charged a 40-year-old Barrie man with impaired driving (drug), dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and theft under $5,000.
On Thursday, May 31, 2018, police received a 911 call reporting an (alleged) impaired driver that had been travelling eastbound into the City of Barrie on Dunlop Street. The water truck had been travelling in excess speeds and weaving in and out oncoming traffic.
Police located the truck at the dead end of Ferndale Industrial Parkway. It had been resting against cement barriers and connected to a fire hydrant via a large hose. The driver had been located at the side of the truck actively engaging a piece of equipment contained in the box of the truck.
Police quickly determined that the driver had been under the influence of a drug and a standardized field sobriety test (SFST) was conducted, which resulted in the driver performing poorly. He was transported to the Barrie Police Station where further testing was conducted by a qualified drug recognition evaluator (DRE), who determined the driver had been impaired by drug.
A further investigation with the assistance of the City of Barrie determined that the driver had purposefully bypassed the attached meter on the hydrant which enabled him to recklessly and illegally obtain water. This, under certain conditions, water (along with any other contaminants) from the truck’s tank could have been drawn back into the drinking water system, potentially contaminating the potable water supply leading to the delivery of these contaminants to City of Barrie residents for consumption.
The City of Barrie regulates the operation of all hydrants within the city. To address any potential threats to public health the city has adopted a Backflow Prevention and Cross Connection Control By-law (2017-121).
As a result of the driver obtaining water illegally, he was charged with theft under $5,000 and will appear in a Barrie Court of Justice on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
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