Holiday weekend impaired driving charges up

The number of drunk driving charges in the Toronto area rose significantly over the holiday weekend compared to 2014.

By late Monday afternoon, police had laid 30 alcohol-related criminal charges involving motorists, up from 25 recorded during the same weekend last year.

"The impaired charges that we laid in the Toronto area, specifically, were up about 20 per cent compared to last Victoria Day long weekend in 2014," OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said.

Some of the arrests were made after tips from the public.

• Wrong-way driver on Highway 403 kills 1 in head-on collision

"Also, we're finding a lot of impaired drivers as a result of collisions," Schmidt said. "That just goes to show that these drivers think they're able to drive home, but yet they're the ones wrecking their cars."

The worst crash of the weekend happened along Highway 403 west of Toronto.

A pickup truck travelling westbound in the eastbound lanes near Waterdown Road in Burlington was in a head-on collision with a car early Saturday.

The 35-year-old male driver of the pickup is now facing several charges, including impaired driving causing death.