Suspended, impaired driver blows over 3x legal limit after wild ride in Barrie's south end

Police arrested a driver accused of blowing over three times the legal alcohol limit following reckless manoeuvers, collisions and concerning behaviour in Barrie.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Officers say they received several concerned calls about a driver in the city's south end Thursday evening.
They say the accused was heading north on Ferndale Drive and struck another vehicle head-on while turning left onto Ardagh Road.
Police say the driver then put the vehicle into reverse and left the crash scene but was followed by witnesses, who trailed the suspect vehicle west onto Gore Drive, where they say he crashed into snowbanks on the side of the road, causing parts of the vehicle to break off.
The driver then ran a stop sign before trying to back into a nearby driveway, which police say took several attempts.
According to police, he finally backed into the garage door just as officers pulled up.
They arrested the 49-year-old man from Badjeros, Ont., and say they determined he was drunk and driving while prohibited.
Police charged the accused with several offences, including failing to stop after an accident, dangerous operation and impaired driving.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

NEW 'My door is always open': heritage minister insists feds working hard 'to bring Meta back to the table' on C-18
Canada's heritage minister insists the federal government is still working to get Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta back to the bargaining table to negotiate a deal to compensate Canadian news organizations as part of the regulatory process for the controversial Online News Act.
Strong earthquake that sparked a tsunami warning leaves 1 dead amid widespread panic in Philippines
A powerful earthquake that shook the southern Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said Sunday.
Bonnie Crombie wins Ontario Liberal leadership after 3 rounds of voting
Ontario Liberals have selected Bonnie Crombie, a three-term big city mayor and former MP who boasts that she gets under the skin of Premier Doug Ford, as their next leader to go head to head with the premier in the next provincial election.
Israel widens evacuation orders as it shifts its offensive to southern Gaza amid heavy bombardments
Israel's military on Sunday ordered more areas in and around Gaza's second-largest city of Khan Younis to evacuate, as it shifted its offensive to the southern half of the territory where it says many Hamas leaders are hiding.
Teen girls are being victimized by deepfake nudes. One family is pushing for more protections
A mother and her 14-year-old daughter are advocating for better protections for victims after AI-generated nude images of the teen and other female classmates were circulated at a high school in New Jersey.
Naloxone: What to know about the opioid overdose-reversing drug, free across Canada
Health Canada has called the opioid crisis one of the most serious public health threats in recent history, and an addictions specialist says everyone can play a part in helping reduce the death toll. All it takes is access to naloxone, a life-saving medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose.
James Webb Telescope confirms existence of massive dusty galaxy from early universe
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have confirmed the existence of a massive, dusty, star-forming galaxy which was first spotted years ago by a ground telescope, but was completely invisible to the Hubble Space Telescope.
What was a hospital like in medieval times? Researchers analyzed 400 skeletons to find out
In medieval times, hospitals took care of the 'poor and infirm,' but how were inhabitants selected and what were their lives like? Researchers analyzed 400 skeletons to find out.
Avril Lavigne, Rick Mercer celebrated at Canada's Walk of Fame anniversary gala
Pop-punk icon Avril Lavigne, political satirist Rick Mercer and hockey superstar Connor McDavid are among those set to be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame tonight at a special anniversary gala in Toronto.