York Regional Police have charged a 45-year-old Toronto man, Gffrizio Murriel, with impaired driving following two collisions in Markham, one of which injured a child at a school playground.
The incident began on Sunday when police were alerted to a black Mitsubishi SUV that had been driven onto a property on Becket Avenue, crashing through a playground gate and hitting a nine-year-old child. The driver fled the scene at high speed, leaving the child with minor injuries, treated by paramedics before being taken to the hospital.
Later that evening, police received another call regarding the same suspect vehicle, which had collided with a tree on a residential lawn on Winston Castle Drive. First responders found Murriel unconscious behind the wheel, with the vehicle’s engine still revving. He was extricated from the vehicle, taken into custody, and subsequently transported to the hospital where a breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol level significantly above the legal limit.
Murriel now faces charges of failing to stop after an accident, dangerous operation, and impaired operation over 80 Plus.
York Regional Police issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to tackling the issue of impaired driving, urging the public to call 911 if they suspect an impaired driver on the road.