Police say charges have been laid after the driver of a street sweeper was caught drinking what appeared to be alcohol on the Queen Elizabeth Way last week.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the incident occurred one afternoon last week on the QEW in Mississauga.

According to police, the street sweeper was spotted travelling “extremely slowly” down the highway and one witness reported seeing the driver drinking what appeared to be alcohol inside the commercial vehicle.

Police tracked down the vehicle and the driver was arrested by officers.

“He is now facing charges of driving impaired, driving over the legal limit, and having open alcohol in his vehicle that he was driving,” Schmidt said Saturday.

Police have identified the driver as 48-year-old Aaron Duffy, of Mississauga.

Schmidt said the incident is a “huge concern” for police officers.

“Had it not been for the witnesses who observed this vehicle originally and called 911 to report it, this driver could have continued and who knows what may have happened,” he said.

Schmidt added that 33 people have died on Ontario highways this year following drug and alcohol-related collision.

“This is completely unacceptable,” he said.