York Regional Police say a nine-year-old boy called 911 to alert them that his mother was allegedly drinking and driving with him in the car between King Township and Newmarket on Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday just before 4:30 p.m., police received a call from a cell phone. There was no voice heard, but sounds indicated the call came from inside a vehicle. Police said an emergency dispatcher called the cell phone back and a young boy answered the phone.
Police allege the boy told the dispatcher that he was riding in a van his mom was driving, and his mom was drinking and driving.
Const. Andy Pattenden said the boy sounded "scared and hysterical" but was able to tell the dispatcher his name, his age, his approximate location, a description of the van and his address. Pattenden added that the dispatcher should be commended for calming the boy down.
A short time later police said the boy’s mother got on the phone telling police that she only had one drink and was fine to drive, before hanging up.
Police say the van had travelled from the intersection of Dufferin Street and 17th Sideroad in King Township, where the call began, to the area around Columbus Way and Mulock Drive in Newmarket where officers stopped the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle, a 52-year-old Newmarket woman, was arrested at the scene for impaired driving.
Police say they arranged for the boy to be sent to his father and also contacted the Children’s Aid Society.
"It's an incredible story of a nine-year-old boy brave enough to make that call and stop that crime in progress," Pattenden said.
At police district headquarters in Newmarket, the woman allegedly blew more than twice the legal limit and was charged with impaired driving and over 80.
Police say that so far in 2015, charges for impaired driving due to alcohol or drugs in York Region are up more than eight per cent over this time in 2014.
Anyone with information about suspected impaired motorists is asked to call police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7141, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).